


The Most Precious of Treasures

by Kalikuks



Series: Precious Treasures [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Dragon Genji Shimada, Dragon Hanzo Shimada, Dragon Related Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Magic Bullshit, Single Dad Hanzo Shimada, Slow Burn, Trafficking and Poaching of Magical Creatures, Uncle Genji Shimada is a Little Shit, Urban Fantasy, mention of other characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-04 21:51:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18352415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalikuks/pseuds/Kalikuks
Summary: “Very well hunter, but there are conditions to this deal.” the dragon motions to Jesse with one of his claws, “You will remain here for the duration of the wait for my child to hatch, and you will guard us both until they do. You will also remain here when I need to go hunt to feed myself. If I am to return and I find that you have made off with my child, I will find you and I will eat you. And I will take great pleasure in it.”“Understandable.” Jesse lifts himself away from the egg, takes his hat off and places it over his heart and bows shallowly to the dragon, “You got my word, sir. Ain’t nothin’ going to harm yer egg or you.”-- -- --- -- --Wherein Jesse is a bounty hunter given a job to take care of a dragon only to find a father just trying to take care of his most precious treasure. Jesse gets more attached to both the dragon and his child that he thought he would...





	1. Just Another Job

**Author's Note:**

> HOLY MOLY RAVIOLLI WE'RE LIVE PEOPLE 
> 
> This fic has been a long time coming. I hope you all enjoy the fruits of the labours of myself and my two wonderful artists. I will be posting this entire fic in full over the rest of today and tomorrow. Please Enjoy!!!

Jesse’s taken a lot of shit jobs. He’s hunted creatures and humans alike, it’s why his own bounty is so goddamn high. Humans and magic folk and creatures alike avoid him like the plague, turn their heads down when he walks into bars looking for whispered words of potential work.

When Jesse’s actively sought out, it surprises him. He’s nursing straight bourbon in a dark corner of some bar who-knows-where when an older fella approaches him. Tells him he has a job for him.

“A great serpent settled in a cave north of my town.” The man told him, voice hushed in fear, gaze flicking around at the other patrons uncertainly. Clearly not a local or one to frequent these seedy dives Jesse loves, “We’re a farming community, smack dab in the middle of nothing, really. Got lots of sheep and cows, you see. If it takes our livestock we’ve got no other way of making an honest living, and there would be no aid for miles. We want you to get rid of it.”

Jesse’s never taken down a dragon before, as one of the sentient creatures and technically endangered beings of magic in this world, you’re not even supposed to think about hunting one. Jesse’s also done shady things in order to protect good people, and if it’s just a farming community worried about their livelihoods then honestly he sees no harm in removing the threat. People in the past hunted these scaly bastards anyways, right? Clearly there had been a reason before.

“I’ll check it out.” Jesse promises, and it’s how he finds himself and the old man travelling together south from that bar.

Jesse’s wandered so much that names of places stopped having meaning, it’s likely he won’t even come back this way anyway. All he needs is to know where he’s come from, and that he’ll find a place to rest six feet under at the end of his days. Death and taxes are the only certainties in life, after all, and death is something you can’t evade forever.

Jesse spends a lot of the trip contacting old hunting allies, getting tips on dealing with dragons. Most call him insane, going it alone. Others are at least helpful, and one of the oldest hunters still alive that he knows, a big German fella named Reinhardt, is oddly gleeful about Jesse’s latest hunt, and is disappointed he wasn’t invited. Jesse promises that Reinhardt will be the first he calls if he needs backup, and has to hold his phone away from his ear when the speakers crackle and nearly pop from Reinhardt’s excited yelling. At least someone is enthusiastic.

The more Jesse speaks with other hunters the further he travels, the more this prospect is looking tipped into the dragon’s favour.

“They’ve got hides of steel.” His mentor, Gabriel, points out over the phone, Jesse straining to hear him over the static of the poor connection. The town he is being lead to really is in the middle of nowhere. “You’re not going to pierce those scales unless you got some bullets made of harder stuff, magic weakness seeing eye or no. And don’t let Lindholm try to sell you on it having softer scales on it’s underbelly. That fact is bullshit and will get you killed faster.”

“So I’m guessing dragons laying on their hoards to get a little extra armour for their bellies is also bullshit?”

“Yes, Jesse.” There’s a pause and a long, suffering sigh of frustration on the other end before Gabriel continues. “This is probably the stupidest thing you’ve done. Just please don’t let it be your last.”

“I don’t plan on it, Gabe.”

“Good, because if you die I’m summoning your spirit to rip you a new one.”

Jesse can’t help but laugh, “I’d be right offended if you didn’t.”

Gabriel even huffs a laugh, before turning serious once more, “Stay safe. Guild’s not quite the same without you kid, wish you’d come back to us sometimes.”

“You know I can’t do that. I’d be bringing all the heat on my back down on you all. I can’t do that to you guys, I can’t let y’all suffer over my mistake.”

“In my opinion he had it coming.”

“You know your opinion varies wildly from the rest o’ the world, Gabe.” Jesse rubs his temple. He hates when his calls with Gabriel go down this path. “I gotta go. We gotta pack up early tomorrow, we’re makin’ a detour to grab some dragon slayin’ bullets from a supplier. Then it’s jus’ another day until we reach the village. I’ll let ya know how it goes soon as I can, alright.”

Jesse can tell there’s more Gabriel has to say, but he’s blessedly silent for a few beats, “Alright. Remember, if you die, I’m summoning you.”

“See ya around, Gabriel.”

“See you around, kid.”

After that the trip seemed to go by much faster than anticipated, and once Jesse got his dragon hide piercing bullets it wasn’t long before he was stepping into the old man’s village. Farmland sprawled all around it, with herds of sheep dotting the fields. To the north is indeed a dense forest that begins to ascend into mountain ranges, and Jesse is not looking forwards to that climb with all his gear.

There's no other path to take but the one before Jesse, so the hunter begins his trek into the dragon’s territory.


	2. Complications

The dragon’s lair is surprisingly void of the dragon.

The lair itself had been easy enough to find, standard craggy cave entrance with clear claw marks cut into the stone heralding the coming and going of the beast. There was a stream flowing from the higher reaches of the mountainside that partially covered the cave entrance with a waterfall. Jesse had set up camp a hundred yards away in the dense brush before he cautiously entered the cave as quietly as humanly possible, only to discover no one was home.

The lair being empty of its occupant doesn’t ease Jesse’s mind in the slightest, because if the dragon is not in its lair then it could possibly be out hunting more of the livestock down in the village. Jesse prays they don’t do anything to anger the dragon into destroying or killing anything. On the plus side, he himself has time to scope out the lair for possible escape routes or areas that would give him an advantage in battle over the beast.

Jesse’s in the middle of inching further into the centre of the cave when something catches his eye deeper in. It’s a shimmer of light barely concealed past a wind in the cave system, and Jesse makes his way to the passage without a sound.

When he rounds the corner he’s greeted with the shimmer of a pool of water, light from a hole in the ceiling reflecting off of the surface. Farther in, situated in the middle of the pool, is a large circular outcropping of stone. On top of which sits a pile of tattered fabrics and cushions and Jesse catches the occasional glitter of a fine gem mixed in.

It’s what is in the middle of the nest that causes Jesse to inch closer, wading through the shin-deep water once he’s deemed it’s not too deep.

Nestled snug within a mini nest within the larger nest, is a single, deep blue egg. It’s a little bigger than Jesse’s head, but it’s still an egg. Its shell resembles a shined and tumbled stone, and if stories of dragon eggs are to be believed, the shell is just as hard. Jesse takes his hat off of his head and runs a hand through his hair in exasperation. This has complicated things.

If there is an egg, then there is possibly two parents. And if one parent is away, where is the other? Just as Jesse is contemplating retreating entirely and calling for back up, a roar shakes the cavern and instinctually Jesse dives for cover. This puts him in the nest, however, closer to the egg itself.

He looks up just in time to see the dragon enter the nesting chamber, and Jesse and the beast lock eyes. The villagers weren’t kidding when they said the dragon was serpent-like, but the long body is where the resemblance to snakes end. There are long, golden antlers framing the beginnings of an equally golden mane that travels the length of the dragon’s back, ending in a feathery tuft of fur at the end of the whip-like tail. Ears like a deer’s are flicking in annoyance as the dragon narrows their eyes at Jesse, teeth bared and hackles raised.

Jesse merely scootches backwards as the dragon advances, their claws digging into the stone and making it crack beneath the strength of the beast. Jesse accidentally bumps right into the egg, causing both him and the dragon to pause as Jesse hastily catches it before it topples out of its mini nest.

“You dare enter the nest of a dragon and try to take his egg?” the Dragon speaks finally, glaring at Jesse with golden eyes, his voice reverberates through the cavern like the low rumble of thunder, “You are a fool, and this day you die for your greed.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.” Jesse flails his arms wildly, “I ain’t here to take your egg.”

“Then you are here to slay me then.”

“Well,” Jesse starts, but realizes he has no real defence for that one, “Okay, maybe that was my intent initially but I didn’t know you were a daddy!”

“What would it matter? All you humans desire is to kill us to sate your greed.” The dragon is circling around the nest, his long body trapping Jesse in the centre with the egg, “Our scales you steal to make armour of your own, our blood makes potent weapons, you seek the wealth we amass for your own ends. What was it for you? My scales? My wealth? As you can see, there is next to nothing here of value.”

“You’re doin’ a lot o’ assumin’, Mister.” Jesse tries to give off the impression that he isn’t scared shitless of being circled and sized up like the dessert section of an all you can eat buffet, “I wasn’t here for that. I was here because you’ve been harassin’ the village’s livestock.”

“The village? Pah!” The dragon shakes his entire body, his golden fur fluffing up in his annoyance, “It was not I who stole their sheep away. I’ve not left this cave for a week until today, as my child cannot go unprotected against those very same villagers. They seek to take my egg from me.”

“Huh.” Jesse scratches his beard and looks at the egg. “You don’t got a mate?”  
  
“My mate was killed protecting our child.” The dragon snarls.

The dragon circles faster, tail and ears flicking in agitation, eyes locked on Jesse and beginning to shift from that warm gold to an electric blue. Jesse starts to feel the air become charged with electricity. At his side, his mechanical arm twitches on its own in reaction to the dragon’s power. Of all the dragons, this one just had to be a storm dragon.

Jesse is pretty sure he’s going to be eaten at any point when an idea comes to him.

“A proposal, if you will.” Jesse begins, just as the dragon looks like he was considering the best way to simply eat Jesse. “You don’t got a mate ta help protect the little one. I was sent up here to protect the village from you. How’s this; I help you watch the little fella or gal until they hatch, I make sure the village don’t bother you and yours until y’all can move on. Or, if you’d rather not leave me alone with your baby, I can hunt for ya until the little one hatches.”

The dragon levels his head with Jesse, his big nose sniffing at Jesse as his eyes are locked onto the human. Eventually, the dragon raises his head, tilting it this way and that as he sizes up the hunter before him.

“I know the garb you wear, you are a hunter, one with the Overwatch Guild.” the dragon lays his long body down, though he has still trapped Jesse in the nest, “You are sworn to protect your fellow man from beings such as myself, but you offer this truce without lies and without reward.”

“Let us just say I’ve broken the Guild’s rules from time to time.” Jesse admits, “They might have kicked me out because of it.”

“Explain.” Those large eyes are golden once more, narrowed to slits as they are.

“Killed a human.” Jesse starts, no sense beating around the bush when you’re bite-sized. “It is— was— against the guild code, but he was trafficking Lycans. It jus’ wasn’t right, an’ I wanna protect people.”

The dragon considers him again, lifts his long serpent body up and turns another tight circle around Jesse. His eyes flicking between the egg still too close to Jesse and Jesse himself, tail flicking as he thinks. Soon he lays his long body down again, posture more relaxed but Jesse still feels it wouldn’t take much for the dragon to snap him up if he makes any poor choices in words or actions.

“Very well hunter, but there are conditions to this deal.” the dragon motions to Jesse with one of his claws, “You will remain here for the duration of the wait for my child to hatch, and you will guard us both until they do. You will also remain here when I need to go hunt to feed myself. If I am to return and I find that you have made off with my child, I will find you and I will eat you. And I will take great pleasure in it.”

“Understandable.” Jesse lifts himself away from the egg, takes his hat off and places it over his heart and bows shallowly to the dragon, “You got my word, sir. Ain’t nothin’ going to harm yer egg or you.”

The dragon grumbles low in a growl, his gold eyes fixated on Jesse searchingly. The dragon relents and begins to nose forward. Jesse takes the hint and moves from the egg and the dragon, watches as the dragon noses at the egg. Content with the shape the egg is in, the dragon curls closer in around his egg.

Jesse fiddles with the brim of his hat and places it back on his head. The dragon seems to remember he’s present and turns back to peer at him.

“Where d’ya want me to shack up?” Jesse voices, motioning back to the cave entrance, “I got a camp out there but I think it’d be too far down the mountain for me to be of any use in case people do come up here to bother you an’ your egg. I would be encroachin’ on you a little bit, but I could move my camp to the front chamber of the cave here?”

The dragon hums, looking past Jesse to the opening to the antechamber of the cave before his gold eyes fix on Jesse once more, “Very well. Go retrieve your things and set up camp. I will await your return.”

The unspoken threat of _flee our agreement and I will find you_ is heard loud and clear.

Jesse gives the dragon a bow again and backs out of the nesting cave, not too keen on turning his back on the dragon even if they are now amiable. Once he’s certain that the dragon would not change his mind, Jesse turns and begins to head out of the cave and back down the mountain to go gather his things.

This was going to be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art for this chapter is done by [Mimi!](https://callmealyre.tumblr.com)


	3. Jesse McCree, Egg Sitter

In truth, camping in the dragon’s cave was preferred to camping down the mountain. The dragon’s presence meant that rainfall was frequent in the area, making the forest and foliage at the base of the mountain lush and green. That didn’t bode well for campsites on the mountain side though, and when it rained the night Jesse moved his camp into the cave Jesse witnessed how the stream winding down the mountain swelled and flooded the slopes.

The task set out for Jesse by the dragon wasn’t that bad either. When the dragon grew hungry or thirsty, he would move from the cave to hunt in the forest below, or drink the stream water. He was never gone long, at first barely paying any mind to Jesse aside from the occasional nod or carefully watch him move from the egg chamber back to the front of the cave.

It’s like having a very respectful roommate who doesn’t try to take or use your things, but Jesse likes to talk and his contacts would think him mad for essentially working for a dragon. He’s at least contacted some of them that he’s still on good terms with to inform them that the dragon hasn’t eaten him. That’s usually when his phone has enough power from his little solar charger, which is hard when your dragon employer has a habit of calling storms and obscuring sunlight. A week into his new task, Jesse stops and turns to the dragon when they change places standing guard over the egg.

“How long does the little one got left, do you reckon?” Jesse starts conversationally, tugging the foldable camp chair he’s brought with him close to the cave wall so he can sit and lean and continue the little whittling project he started, “I’ve heard a lot ‘bout dragons, but I don’t know much about dragon eggs or the like.

The dragon looks him over with suspicion as he settles himself around the egg. He takes long enough to answer that Jesse doesn’t expect to even get an answer, and moves to continue to whittle the piece of wood into the shape of a bull with his whittling knife before the dragon does indeed speak.

“A little under a month, or two.” the dragon answers, eyes flicking back from Jesse to the egg he has curled around, “Sometimes babies can take their time. Either way, I will wait.”

Jesse nods as he works on carving the flank of his little wooden bull, “You been waiting a long time for the little one?”

“Yes.” the dragon flicks the fluff on the end of his tail over the egg, “I believe this month, hm,” the dragon closes his eyes and thinks before he opens his eyes again, “I have been waiting nearly one thousand years.”

The knife slides through the wood a little too fast and Jesse nearly cuts himself in shock.

“ _One thousand years?”_ Jesse lifts the brim of his hat up to look up at the dragon, “That's… that how long they take all the time?” Jesse motions to the dragon egg with the knife, lowering it with an apology when the dragon stares at him unimpressed.

“Yes. One thousand years.” the dragon replies when Jesse gets over his embarrassment, “I am eager to meet them once they hatch.”

“I bet.” Jesse slowly goes back to whittling, working to smooth the chip out of the flank of the bull that he cut out, but decides that that’s just going to have to be a feature of the carving and works on the other flank, “Do ya, do ya mind if I ask what exactly happened ta the mother? Or how long it’s been?”

“I do mind.” the dragon turns his attention from his egg to look at Jesse, narrowing his golden eyes at him, “Speak if with me if you must, but understand there are things I do not wish to speak _of_.”

Jesse raises his hands to show no harm done, and returns to whittling the bull. The dragon stares at him for a little longer, before laying his head down next to his egg. Jesse watches out of the corner of his eye as the dragon nuzzles it gently, barely nudging at the egg with the side of his face. A quite audible, low rumble starts up deep in the dragon’s throat, loud enough and close enough to a growl that it startles Jesse upright.

His sudden movement makes the dragon raise his head and look questioningly at Jesse. Jesse just blinks owlishly at the dragon.

“Thought you were growlin’.” Jesse admits, sheepish, settling back to sit against the wall.

“Afraid I had changed my mind and was going to make you a snack?” the dragon’s mouth parts slightly in a fanged, amused smile.

Jesse huffs, indignant at the mockery, “Maybe so. I just ain’t never heard a dragon make that kinda sound b’fore.”

“Been around many dragons?” the dragon cocks his head to the side, his deer-like ears twitching. Jesse’s pretty sure that’s the dragon equivalent of holding back laughter, only without the shoulder shaking.

“Oh, you stop that.” Jesse at least has the mind to not point the knife at the dragon, instead flipping it in his hand as to not point the pointy end at the snickering serpent, “Don’t think I can’t tell that you’re laughin’ at my expense.”

“As if it is my fault that you are amusing.” the dragon rolls his eyes, but it’s not overly malicious, “And if it would ease your mind, that noise is not meant to be aggressive. It is…” the dragon considers, flicking his tail, looking down at his egg, “it is for comfort.”

The dragon looks back up to Jesse just in time to see a slow dawning realization and smile begin to form on Jesse’s face. 

“Oh my god.” Jesse begins, “You mean ta tell me that you _purr_? Like a little kitty does?”

“Perhaps eating you would be beneficial after all.” the dragon’s ears flick back, pinned to run alongside his noble antlers, “I am not a kitty.” Jesse’s shoulders begin to shake, which does not go unnoticed and the dragon shifts to plant his forelegs on the ground of the nest to dig his claws into the stone as he glares at Jesse, “Do not dare laugh.”

Jesse’s shoulders shake harder and a giggle slips passed his mouth as he tries to stifle his laughter. The dragon actually does growl, squinting at Jesse and flicking his tail. The reaction just makes Jesse giggle more, like a fool.

“You are bold to laugh at someone that could end you for any slight, human.” the dragon raises up on his front legs, to look down his nose at the human currently losing his mind, “It really wasn’t that amusing.”

“Naw, naw it really wasn’t.” Jesse admits, trying to speak passed giggles still. He eventually calms enough to be clearly understood, “The kitty part weren’t, but your _face_. Good Lord. Ya looked like I had insulted your mother.”

“You may as well have!” the dragon sniffs, still indignant, “I am not one of your little pets. Do I look like I choke up my own fur?”

“I dunno, I said it b’fore, I don’t know much ‘bout dragons.” Jesse finally lets out own more huff, “You could do a lot o’ things I don’t know, purrin’ is just one of them.”

The dragon rolls his eyes at him, his entire head moving with the motion in an annoyed shimmy. He keeps on glaring at Jesse, and Jesse puts his hands up in surrender.

“Alright, Alright.” Jesse admits, “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean ta offend. The purrin’ jus’ caught me off guard, in more ways than one.” Jesse looks up at the dragon, gives him a sincere smile, “If it means anythin’, it’s real cute in a way. That your comfortin’ your little one, bet they appreciate it a lot, knowin’ their Papa is right next ta them.”

It seems to placate the dragon, and he looks to his egg, another low rumbling building in his throat. He leans down to gently nuzzle his snout against the egg. Jesse can’t help but smile at the display. Both are silent for a long time. Jesse finishes whittling the little bull figure and has started on a duck when he breaks the silence once more.

“Y’know, I don’t think I ever got yer name.” Jesse starts up conversationally, “Come to think of it, I don’t think I gave ya mine. That’s kinda rude, I apologize.”

“Then give me your name, and I will give you mine.” the dragon replies, flicking his ears.

“Name’s McCree.” Jesse tips his hat for good measure, and the dragon gives an amused huff, “Jesse McCree. And yours?”

“Shimada Hanzo.” 

The dragon is surprisingly a little more amiable after that, trading tales with Jesse while they both are watching the egg in the main egg chamber. While Hanzo is out hunting, Jesse watches over the egg, sometimes whittling, sometimes playing the harmonica for the little one. That’s his life for a majority of the following weeks. 

Jesse can’t remember having such an easy job.

Of course, that's when things go wrong.

Jesse is whittling once more, Hanzo himself out hunting to sustain himself. It had become routine for the two of them at this point, especially when Jesse has proven himself trustworthy enough that Hanzo will allow him to be alone to watch the egg for longer periods of time.

Jesse holds his little wooden dragon up to inspect it in the low light of the egg chamber when a _clink clink clink_ sounds, and out of the corner of his eye, Jesse catches the light glinting off of a strange canister as it’s tossed into the chamber.

Jesse has just enough mind to pull his serape up over his face as it breaks open, and a strangely coloured gas starts leaking from it. Immediately he’s on his feet, pulling Peacekeeper from her holster, already moving to press himself against the wall next to the cavern entrance. At the first sign of movement through the cavern entrance, he fires, watching a body slump face first into the water around the nest through the increasing haze provided by the gas. 

He hopes if he’s having a hard time seeing them, they’ll have a hard time seeing him. A really hard time seeing them. The gas is stinging at his eyes a little, and Jesse retreats back a little further from the opening and the flow of the gas.

His first shot seems to have made whoever it is cautious, and Jesse hopes it’s at the very least making them waste precious time that will allow Hanzo to return. Jesse waits and watches, holding the serape up to his face. It is tense, and nothing stirs for precious minutes.

Jesse catches out of the corner of his eye as something outside above the cave makes the single light source flicker, before the egg chamber is blanketed in darkness. Chaos erupts, Jesse blindly firing where he remembers the cave entrance being. He knows he hit at least one of them when another heavy object splashes into the water around the nest. He’s reloading Peacekeeper when he’s barrelled into, and the serape pulled from around where it’s covering his face. He flails and manages to get a good hit in with his prosthetic, but his opponent strikes him with more accuracy.

They must have some sort of night vision equipment.

Jesse continues to struggle with the assailant above him, but he’s distracted by the sound of multiple people wading through the water of the cave, heading quickly towards the nest. He struggles harder, lashing out with his prosthetic blindly again. His efforts are met with a strike to his gut, winding him.

He gasps and immediately goes into a coughing fit, inhaling the mystery gas slowly continuing to fill the room. Everything seems to spin, and Jesse can feel himself slowly start to lose consciousness. 

He weakly fights against the hold of his assailant until he does, registering that he’s being dragged along before he blacks out completely.


	4. Awakening

Jesse comes to with the second worst headache he’s ever had. He can’t even rub his temples to alleviate the pain behind his eyes, one movement to try to bring his hands up to rub his own temples reveals his one hand is bound tight to the small of his back with a length of rope and the egg thieves have taken his prosthetic.

His ankles are bound too, and a quick wiggle and tilt of his body reveals they’ve taken off his boots. Guess he can’t rely on his spurs to cut through the ropes again, like the last time he’s fallen into this situation. They’ve gagged him too, so Jesse doesn’t even get the satisfaction of cursing.

He rolls his head to the side to take in the rest of his situation. Judging by the fact he can feel the rumble of the engine and feel the floor jolt as bumps in the road are hit, Jesse figures very quickly that he’s been tossed in the corner of some sort of covered truck bed. There are covered boxes and cages keeping him company, and thankfully no guards with him. Jesse mumbles a thank God against the fabric stuffed in his mouth again when he spots the egg, thankfully intact, nestled in a box of its own and strapped down.

Jesse first works on getting the gag out of his mouth, biting down and trying to turn his head and tug the knot around to his mouth. It’s a long process, and Jesse is beginning to wonder why no one has come to check on him when the truck speeds up and bounces over a few potholes, nearly causing him to bite down on his tongue.

A distant rumble of thunder sounds in the distance when Jesse finally gets the gag loose enough, and he spits it out of his mouth and pushes it down the best he can. He works his jaw of the soreness from the gag and looks for a sharp corner on anything in his vicinity to cut the rope binding him.

There’s a split in the wood of one of the corners of the crates, and Jesse works on shuffling his way over to it. It takes Jesse a little longer to get in position to rub the rope against the sharp wood. A few times he is jostled out of position because of the speed of the truck hitting potholes, and he has to reposition himself to continue to work the rope against the corner.

Jesse’s not entirely sure how much time has passed since he’s started to work on cutting the rope, but he’s interrupted by a particularly rough bump in the road and sent rolling. After everything settles in the truck a rather loud crack sounds somewhere to Jesse’s left, where the egg had been, and his blood runs cold. Quickly as he can, Jesse lifts himself to shuffle towards the egg’s box.

Upon first inspection, the egg looks fine, and Jesse sighs in relief and lets himself slump against the egg’s box. But then another cracking noise starts up and Jesse lifts his forehead from where he’d rested it against the edge of the box. The egg itself is wiggling minutely, and Jesse watches as a crack begins to appear along the curve of it.

“You’re kiddin’.” Jesse huffs in disbelief, “You got some bad timin’ kiddo.”

Jesse finds another sharp corner to use to work away at the rope binding him, keeping an eye on the egg as it hatches. Soon there's a little claw breaking through the shell, followed by the smallest dragon nose Jesse’s ever seen. Any other time Jesse would be over the moon to witness something so precious and once in a lifetime, but considering the danger both he and the little one are in, he’d have rather the kid waited a little longer.

“Couldn’t wait one more day, huh?” Jesse murmurs, lifting his eyes from his progress with the rope to the egg.

The wiggling is getting more violent, as the baby works their way out of the shell. Soon enough the egg finally cracks open enough for the little dragon to move out from their egg. They are about the size of a ferret and they look to Jesse with big, glittering eyes.

Their mane sticks up in all directions, pure golden baby fluff, and a tiny forked tongue flicks out to taste the air. The baby turns the little nest box their egg had been set upon, making little chirrups as they look about the space of the truck bed. The little dragon then opens their mouth to let out a long, distressed trill.

Jesse can’t help but lift himself up again and shuffle closer to the box. The baby focuses their gaze on him, shrinking down and curling in on themselves. They hiss at Jesse. Jesse can’t help but laugh softly.

“Hey, hey it s’okay.” Jesse coos softly, and the baby seems to calm a little, “Hanzo is gonna be over the moon when he sees you. Your daddy’s been waitin’ a thousand years ta meet you, y’know? Bet he’s on his way now, but I gotta getcha somewhere safe b’fore they realize I’m awake an’ you’ve hatched.”

The baby chirps softly, tilting their head to consider Jesse. Slowly, they clamber down off of the box crate their egg was set on, tiny sharp claws helping them find purchase on the wood to climb down. Jesse is wondering where they are going when the tiny dragon shuffles behind him. He feels tiny claws prick at his skin as the baby places their tiny front feet on the rope binding his hand to the back of his belt. Jesse tries to turn and see what the baby is doing, and hopes that they’re trying to help him out at least.

“You thinkin’ your claws are sharp ‘nough, little one?” Jesse asks when the baby starts to scratch at the rope, where Jesse’s been working through it.

The baby makes a chirruping noise, grabbing at the rope and tugging, trying to score through the tight threads with their claws. The rumble of thunder grows louder and passed the noise of the truck speeding down the roads the wind is picking up considerably. The truck hits another bump in the road and Jesse nearly falls over again.

“You’d think these jerks would drive around those,” Jesse says conversationally to the little dragon trying to help him out.

Thankfully, Jesse’s and the baby dragon’s combined efforts soon loosens the rope enough that Jesse can slip out his hand. The little dragon comes around to Jesse’s front as Jesse rubs his wrist against his pants to soothe the ache from having it tied tight behind his back for so long.

“We need to mosey.” Jesse reaches to gently lift the little dragon with his one hand and sets them on his shoulder, “From the sounds of things, I don’t think your Pa is far behind us.”

The baby shuffles a little, curling their long body around Jesse’s neck loosely. Tiny claws cling to the serape and they chirp, seemingly in agreement. Jesse considers the boxes in the truck bed with them and hopes one of them has his prosthetic. He’d settle for Peacekeeper too if luck was on his side. And if neither was found, well, Jesse’s worked with less.

As Jesse looks for his things, the more obvious it becomes that the people who took both him and the egg left in a hurry. While they had time to remove things that would make Jesse have a difficult time of escaping, they left his belongings tossed haphazardly inside a small box closer to the back of the covered truck bed. Both his arm and Peacekeeper are inside, but the ammo he had is elsewhere.

It takes a bit for Jesse to line up the port of his prosthetic and the prosthetic itself, the truck bouncing along the road isn’t helping. The little dragon at least helps by nabbing the serape in their mouth and holding it out of the way. Jesse’s also just starting to suspect the little tyke just likes the serape in general.

Soon enough Jesse’s left arm is back in place, and he uses it to balance himself, his fingers digging into the floor of the truck as it hits another deep pothole. Some of the crates bounce up a few inches off the floor before crashing back down rather audibly, knocking into other things. Jesse turns enough to watch behind him, the egg box that once held the intact egg teeters and falls, sending the remnants of the shell across the floor where the pieces shatter further.

The baby dragon on his shoulders makes a little whining noise and curls further into the serape. Jesse reaches his free hand up to scratch gently between their tiny nub horns to offer at least some comfort.

“I retract my previous statement.” Jesse pulls his hand away from comforting the baby and moves to the back door of the truck bed as he tucks his recovered Peacekeeper into his holster, “You hatched right on time.”

The baby chirps with a little bit of indignation. Their little tail flicks and they turn a circle on Jesse’s shoulders. Maybe they might be digging their claws in a little too much, but Jesse pays them no mind really and chuckles softly.

“Keep low, an’ hold on,” Jesse instructs the dragon infant, bracing himself against one of the back doors of the truck.

The baby dragon hunkers down further in the relative safety of the serape, tiny claws digging into the fabric of Jesse’s shirt underneath. The poachers have modified the back doors of the truck with a slot to look through, possibly to keep an eye out for obstacles in their way as they make off with their ill-gotten gains. Jesse slides it open just enough to peek through without hopefully being noticed by anybody driving behind this truck.

A dark, thick forest is speeding by, and the poachers seem to be taking a rarely used road. Jesse has no way of telling what time it is, the sky is overcast and lightning dances across pitch black clouds. The brief flashes of light illuminate the now distant mountain range where Hanzo’s nest had been. The first drops of rain start falling, hitting the top of the truck bed, slow plinks that soon give way to a massive downpour. The little dragon chirps in excited acknowledgement to the sound of the rain, lifting their head as their ears twitch.

There’s a rumble all of a sudden, echoing over the valley, that’s a deeper reverberation than the thunder itself. A grin splits Jesse’s face and the baby dragon starts to wiggle in anticipation, their tiny claws pricking Jesse’s skin and catching on the serape as they try to make for the slot in the door. 

Jesse only barely manages to catch the wiggly little dragon, pulling the baby close to him protectively. The dragon trills in annoyance, turning their tiny head to look at Jesse, tiny gold eyes narrowed up at him. Jesse can’t help but laugh at how cute they are.

“Easy.” Jesse places the baby on his shoulders again, “I think that roar is your dad too, but if ya hop out of this truck you might get hurt. It’s going too fast.”

Jesse has to brace himself when the truck lurches all of a sudden nearly sends him falling backwards. A huge thud sounds on the roof of the truck followed by the screech of metal. Jesse looks up just in time to see huge claws tear through the metal roof like paper. The baby dragon’s eyes go wide and they let out another long trilling chirp. They start to wiggle excitedly on Jesse’s shoulders, especially when the claws rake over the top of the truck again to widen the holes previously caused.

There’s a rumbling purr as a large golden eye appears beyond the tears in the metal, giant claws still stuck in to prevent the truck from moving. Jesse can hear the wheels spinning in place on the wet ground as the poachers try to escape the elder dragon’s clutches. The baby dragon hops up and down on Jesse’s shoulders and trills and chirps up at who could only be Hanzo.

Hanzo just peers down and rumbles a purr towards his child, and through the tears in the metal roof, Jesse can see the dragon’s mouth curled into a soft fanged smile of relief. A gunshot suddenly rings past the sound of the rain and thunder and that smile fades from Hanzo’s face as he roars furiously, the bullet pinging harmlessly off of Hanzo’s scales.

Jesse thinks that's his cue to make his exit. 

“Lay low, lil’ one.” Jesse says as he gently places a hand on top of the baby dragon’s head and urges them to tuck back down into his serape, “This could get messy, fast.”

The little dragon makes a low murp in response and tucks themselves around Jesse’s shoulder’s, nestling down into the serape. They dig their claws into Jesse’s shirt to keep themselves in place. Jesse flicks Peacekeeper’s chamber open to check the ammo he has at his disposal once he’s content the baby is settled. The poachers might have left him without his extra ammo, but Peacekeeper’s chamber was still full.

That’s all he needs.

Jesse wrenches the door of the truck open wide and hops out onto the muddy road. Above him, Hanzo’s half perched on the top of the truck, his back legs digging into the dirt road to help keep the truck in place, the tires still spinning uselessly in the mud. Hanzo’s back half is keeping both Jesse and the baby dragon out of the downpour of the thunderstorm around them. Even then, over the rain and the thunder and Hanzo’s increasingly enraged roars, Jesse can hear guns being fired at Hanzo. 

Jesse lets the door of the truck swing closed and braces himself against the back of it to peer around the truck. Ahead of it, nearly obscured by the rain, is a jeep of some sort stopped in its tracks by a massive tree that’s fallen across the road. The gunfire is coming from that jeep. Jesse can make out movement inside, and every so often the barrel of a gun will appear from a window.

“Cover your ears, sweetie,” Jesse advises the baby dragon, “It’s gonna get loud.”

The baby dragon makes a small chirp in response and places their front claws over their little deer-like ears. Their tiny back claws dug further into Jesse’s shirt to hold themselves in place. Jesse then peers around the truck again, waits for another flash from a gun from inside the jeep before he retaliates himself. Jesse can barely make out the gunman slumping down before the guns stop for five seconds before they start anew, ignoring the dragon and aiming for Jesse himself. Jesse ducks behind the truck again as bullets ricochet off the corner. He manages to peek out of the corner twice more to take out two more of the gunmen before he’s forced back behind his cover by answering fire.

Above him, Hanzo roars and his massive tail curls around, and recognizing what the dragon is doing, Jesse moves to duck behind the more bulletproof cover the tail provides. Hanzo provides further cover for them both by gripping the truck and pulling it closer, causing it to jack-knife before he pulls it over onto its side. Effectively trapping the jeep between the huge fallen tree and the truck. Jesse moves to the cover the truck provides when Hanzo moves over the top of the truck. The dragon pauses and lowers his head to Jesse’s level.

“Protect my child while I,” Hanzo blinks and considers before his mouth splits in a wicked fanged grin, “While I deal with the vermin.”

“You got it.” Jesse agrees, hunkering down against the overturned truck bed, making sure to not catch his serape on the torn edges left by Hanzo’s claws. 

Hanzo makes a pleased purr before he disappears over top of the truck entirely. Gunfire erupts once more, and Jesse can hear the sound of metal crunching and tearing and screams. Jesse keeps his gun at the ready in case any of the poachers try to escape the dragon’s wrath. Jesse’s got three bullets left, so he has to make them count.

The rain is still relentless and Jesse huddles more into his serape, trying to keep the small dragon warm and safe, as Hanzo metes out his revenge. The baby dragon seems to be listening to the noise on the other side of the truck the same as Jesse. They look at Jesse from time to time, making soft questioning chirps. Jesse quiets them gently and edges to the end of the truck to peek at Hanzo’s progress.

The jeep is so crunched up it might as well be an accordion, and Hanzo seems to be finishing off the stragglers of the poaching party. Jesse winces as he watches one of them try to flee overtop the tree that had cut off the jeep before Hanzo strikes lightning fast, chomping down on the fleeing thief. With that Jesse moves back behind the trucks cover, grimacing at the last cut off scream before the only sounds that remain are the sounds of the thunder and the rain pelting everything around him.

The downpour slows to a nice gentle rain and even the thunder does not sound so violent. Jesse takes it as the cue that everything Hanzo set out to do is done and finished. He checks on the small dragon still curled up in his serape. The baby sleepily chirps and trills up at him, and Jesse gently rubs between their tiny nub horns, earning a soft purr. Jesse stands to his full height and tucks Peacekeeper into her holster before he rounds the truck to approach Hanzo himself.

The dragon seems to be grooming himself, licking blood from his claws before he lifts his head at Jesse’s approach. The small dragon wrapped in Jesse’s serape perks up when Hanzo rumbles, peeking up over the edge of the red fabric to trill up at their dad. Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light not unlike lightning blinds Jesse, and when he blinks away the brightness there’s a man standing in front of Jesse where the dragon once stood. 

“H-Hanzo?” Jesse can only stare dumbfounded as Hanzo in a humanoid form approaches him, his long black hair flowing behind him like the fabric of his clothing. 

Jesse’s known dragons could take human form, but the knowledge hadn’t prepared him for how handsome Hanzo is. Hanzo’s ears are still draconic, and he’s crowned with the horns of his heritage as well. The long tail remains a part of Hanzo’s human guise, flicking impatiently as Hanzo reaches scaled and clawed hands out to Jesse.

“My son, if you please.” Hanzo all but begs, looking at the small dragon still, his once golden gaze has faded to a warm dark brown, gaze fixated on his long-awaited child, “Let me meet him.”

“Oh!” Jesse gently lifts the small dragon from his shoulders and moves closer to hand Hanzo his child.

Around them, the rain slows further to a pleasant drizzle, almost a warm summer rain at this point. The chill of Hanzo’s rage melted from the storm he had called on the poachers. Hanzo gathers his son to him, smiles a warmed fanged smile. The small dragon wiggles in Hanzo’s arms, chirping excitedly and nuzzling against Hanzo’s chest. Hanzo chirps back, and the two dragons seem to have a back and forth between them comprised of soft trills and chirps.

Hanzo soon tucks the baby inside his hoari, pulling it closed to keep his son warm after pressing a kiss to the top of the baby’s head. Jesse can’t help the smile that crosses his face at the display. Hanzo finally remembers that Jesse is present, and turns to him.

 

“I thank you for keeping him safe.” Hanzo dips in a shallow bow to Jesse, “Your help has been invaluable.”

Jesse runs a hand through his soaked hair almost sheepishly, “It was nothin’, you asked me to keep an eye on ‘im and I am a man of my word.”

“So you are.” Hanzo rights himself and nods to Jesse, “I am sorry I had doubted you so much when I had met you.” he smirks, those dark eyes alight with amusement, “I suppose it was a good thing that I did not eat you.” 

“Heh.” Jesse allows himself a nervous chuckle, “Reckon it was.” Jesse then smiles at the baby dragon yawning rather loudly, tucked away safely in his father’s hoari, “Do you got a name for the little one?”

“Ichiro.” Hanzo gently puts a hand over his son’s head, petting the soft baby fluff, “It is a name my mate had liked if we were to have a son.”

“If they were a girl?”

“Kimiko. After my mother.” Hanzo voices softly, eyes distant for a brief moment before he focuses on Jesse once more. “Which reminds me. Our agreement has come to a close. Ichiro has finally hatched, and so we can now part ways. I must return home and introduce Ichiro to my brother and household.”

Jesse toes at a rock that was loosened from its place in the road because of the storm Hanzo had called. He turns his gaze back to Hanzo and starts after the dragon when he realizes the dragon has started to walk away while cuddling and cooing at his son. Hanzo’s draconic ears twitch and he turns in surprise when Jesse falls into step next to him.

“Y’know, jus’ because he’s hatched don’t mean he’s safe.” Jesse begins, continuing on when Hanzo narrows his eyes at him, “You still gotta go hunt when he gets hungry, I’m sure. ‘Sides, it’s gonna be a long trip home.”

“Are you saying you wish to escort us home?” Hanzo replies, tilts his head to look at Jesse critically while Ichiro mirrors his father, though without as much scrutiny. 

“If you’d let me tag along.” Jesse motions to Ichiro, “I understand if you want your time with your boy though.”

Hanzo looks down to Ichiro in his arms, and the baby dragon just looks back up at his father and chirps questioningly. Hanzo then returns his gaze back up to Jesse and nods slowly. He motions for Jesse to continue to follow him. The rain has stopped entirely, and birds have begun to sing among the trees. There’s finally light filtering through the clouds.

“It wouldn’t hurt for you to come along.” Hanzo says, “Ichiro is not even an hour old. A dragon egg is worth much to you humans. An actual baby dragon… I would hate to see what would happen to my child should he be threatened again and taken.”

Jesse nods in understanding and Hanzo pulls Ichiro closer protectively. Together, the three of them walk down the road, stopping to search the jack-knifed and overturned truck for Jesse’s hat. He rejoins Hanzo and places it back on his head, adjusting it by the brim as they continue on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art for this chapter is done by [Bunny!](https://beetleknee.tumblr.com)


	5. Home

Jesse had expected another cave, to be fair, knowing little to nothing about other means of dragon habitat. So the castle surrounded with vibrant pink trees comes as a surprise to him after the long journey accompanying Hanzo and Ichiro home.

Hanzo, for his part, can only fly so far and Ichiro is an infant and requires a lot of hands-on attention not easily given when flying anyways. Jesse did his part in acquiring means of transportation for all three, garnering a lot of attention themselves. _A dragon, a hatchling, and an outlaw walk onto a boat…_

It had been an interesting trip to say the least.

Now, travel weary, the three of them stand before a tall gate, an ouroboros of twin dragons decorating the front. Ichiro has long fallen asleep tucked away inside his father’s hoari again, though his ears twitch in time with his father’s knocking on the tall gate. Jesse keeps an eye out standing a few paces behind the dragons, his paranoia constantly hard to shake.

They have been getting stared at, the people here milling about their day and turning heads when Hanzo and company had passed by. Though mostly their attention had been on the cute little dragon baby and the dragon himself. Jesse was glad to have been paid no mind for once, and as far as he is concerned no one here will try to harm the dragons under his watch.

“I think Miss Emi has grown slow in her ancientness.” Hanzo muses aloud to Ichiro, who is slowly blinking awake. “That eighth tail has gone to her head, I think.”

“Can’t ya just fly over the gate?” Jesse asks, motioning to the ample airspace over the gate’s very top.

“And deny myself a dramatic entrance after being far from home for centuries? I think not.” Hanzo gently runs his claws through Ichiro’s baby fluff before adjusting his hold on his son, letting the baby gum at his fingers.

They’ll have to feed Ichiro once they’re let inside. Jesse’s never seen a baby eat as much as a baby dragon does. Hanzo says it’s because he’s growing at a much faster rate than a human infant is. Already, the baby’s fangs are starting to come in even so shortly after hatching, hence the need to gnaw at his father’s fingers.

They do not wait too much longer at the gate, the wood creaking with age as it slides open a fraction and a round face with equally round glasses peers through suspiciously. Her eyes widen behind her spectacles through, unbridled joy in amber eyes before her deceptively small frame shoves the gate open further.

“Lord Shimada!” she exclaims, bowing deep at the waist before righting, “It is good to see you returned home, after all these years.” Her eyes land on the small dragon cosied up in Hanzo’s hoari and a smile splits her face, “And with the little one we’ve all been waiting for. Your brother will be thrilled.”

“I would imagine so,” Hanzo begins, walking forward through the gate, “I take it word of my return has already been sent.”

Jesse follows the two dragons and the stranger, having nothing else to do really. Besides, Hanzo hasn’t told him to leave, and he’s just as travel weary as the dragons are. The stranger does give him an appraising backwards glance, though. He tips his hat at her.

She says nothing to him, only continues her conversation with Hanzo as all of them pass through the gate, which closes behind them immediately. It startles Jesse a little, and he thinks he sees the mystery lady smirk.

“I have no doubt Genji is already on his way.” the stranger replies to Hanzo, turning to him fully and smiling wide up at him again, “It is truly wonderful to see you, Hanzo. And the little one.”

“Ichiro.” Hanzo responds, holding up the small, pudgy baby dragon fully for her perusal, “I have called him Ichiro, as my mate desired.”

Ichiro chitters, grumpy from being removed from the warmth of his father’s hoari, but lets himself be handed to the stranger, who coos and gathers him close. Jesse, who had wandered closer to the group, is startled yet again when eight resplendent golden fox tails appear from the stranger. Ichiro makes an interested chirp, sniffing the air and clawing at the fluffy tails in hopes he’ll be allowed to play with them. 

“Those are not for playing, little Ichiro.” the stranger coos, bouncing the baby in her arms, “I cannot have a dragon gnaw on them.”

Hanzo smiles at the display before him, before he seems to remember Jesse is present.

“Jesse McCree, this is the housekeeper of Shimada Castle, Miss Emi.” Hanzo motions to her, voice fond, “She has been with the Shimada family for years.”

“Pleasure ta meet ya, Miss Emi.” Jesse takes off his hat and places it over his chest, “You’ve kept this place well. It’s damn pretty.”

“I would hope so.” Miss Emi gives Jesse a friendly smile, though he’s certain she’s still sizing him up, “Shimada Castle and its grounds have always been my pride and joy. But I’m sure you all are tired from the long journey home, any more talk can occur in the tea room.”

“Tea sounds wonderful, Miss Emi.” Hanzo looks downright excited at the mere prospect of tea, “You will have to catch me up on all I have missed in my absence.”

“Of course.” Miss Emi begins ushering them all inside, even still holding and cuddling the baby dragon, though she relinquishes Ichiro back to his father when Hanzo gives her a look, “Will your cowboy friend be joining us?”

The look Hanzo turns to her and then Jesse was akin to a deer in the headlights like he hadn’t yet considered that Jesse would still be there. It disappears rather quickly when Hanzo’s gaze is on Jesse. With his mind made up, Hanzo turns back to his housekeeper. 

“Yes, Jesse will be joining us.” Hanzo turns back to look Jesse over for confirmation, and when Jesse nods he then turns back to Miss Emi, “I doubt he wishes to move on, after travelling with us for so long. Besides, I owe him much, his aid in protecting Ichiro for the final month was much needed and much appreciated. I will have you prepare a guest room for him once the tea has been served.”

“Of course, Hanzo, it will be done.” There’s an amused glint in Miss Emi’s eyes when she turns to look to Jesse, “I hope you enjoy the hospitality we offer here. Not many humans get to be in your position. Hanzo must truly hold you in high regard.”

“Then I’m honoured ta be your guest,” Jesse replies, keeping his hat off his head out of respect for his hosts.

They all continue to make small talk as Miss Emi leads them through the halls of Shimada Castle. Jesse gets the notion that the castle itself is much smaller on the outside than the inside, and is pretty sure it’s the handiwork of the Kitsune housekeeper herself. It’s an impressive feat to keep up this type of illusion, but he’s heard tales of the power of Kitsune and their warping of reality. Housekeeper indeed.

The tea room itself is decorated with a low table surrounded by cushions, and once all are sat around it, Emi begins performing tea ceremony for the house guests. Hanzo has to keep Ichiro from diving for his tea, the little dragon ever curious. Miss Emi sets out and pours an extra tea cup, and Jesse sends her a questioning look. She merely sends him a mysterious little smile, seconds before the shoji door of the tea room slams open, making Jesse jump.

“A sparrow told me that my nephew is finally here!” coos the other dragon who’s suddenly appeared in the doorway.

This must be Genji.

Jesse has to duck under a tail as it whips excitedly by his head as the other Shimada brother _jumps_ the table to land at Hanzo’s side, scooping Ichiro from Hanzo’s arms. Genji Shimada ignores Hanzo’s annoyed snarl and brings Ichiro up to his face to inspect the infant. Genji’s face breaks into a huge grin when Ichiro smacks his nose with one of his little front claws.

“He’s definitely your kid, Hanzo.” Genji teases, “He swipes at me exactly how you did when we were hatchlings.” Genji adjusts his hold on Ichiro and cuddles the little dragon close to his chest, letting the baby dragon begin to gnaw at his fingers to teethe. “So pudgy and cute too. Are you sure you haven’t brought home _Tsuchinoko?”_

“Babies are supposed to be fat, Genji.” Hanzo says simply, ears flicked back, tail flicking in annoyance, but there is an underlying fond exasperation in his voice, “I should be offended you compared my son to a snake, but I am glad to see you. It has been too long, little brother.”

Genji replies with a gentle chirp in response and settles to sit close to his brother and pull him into a side hug as he still cradles Ichiro. Hanzo actually pulls Genji into a proper hug, which Ichiro uses as a distraction to quickly wiggle out of his Uncle’s arms to make for the tea to try it. Jesse scoops up the tiny dragon from across the table, who chirps high in annoyance when his tea thievery is thwarted.

“Oh yeah, he takes after our side of the family for sure.” Genji laughs, sneakily wiping tears from his eyes.

Hanzo is no better, his eyes are a little too bright with withheld tears. The brothers must have missed each other terribly. Ichiro must pick up on it, because he chitters in concern for his dad, and tries to wiggle towards his father, tea forgotten.

Jesse lifts Ichiro back over the table to hand him back to Hanzo, who reaches for his son. Hanzo just laughs softly when Ichiro chirped and chittered and even began purring softly to try to soothe his dad.

“It’s okay, Ichiro.” Hanzo says softly, kissing the top of his son’s head, “I’m just happy to be home, that’s all. Happy to have brought you home.”

Jesse can’t help but smile at the whole situation and sips at the tea provided. Miss Emi is also sipping at her tea, teary-eyed but smiling. Hanzo and Genji chat amicably among themselves for the most part, and Miss Emi eventually disappears briefly to get something suitable for baby dragons to eat.

Which amounts to blended, raw meat easy enough for the baby Ichiro to lap up. Its kinda gross, but it’s what baby dragons eat until they get their fangs, apparently. Its more pleasant than watching Hanzo feed Ichiro on the road, Jesse admits. Let us just say Jesse would never look at venison the same way again.

Jesse doesn’t know exactly how long they stay chatting in the tea room, but soon the days of travel and possibly the excitement of the last few months has Jesse almost nodding off into the tea and sweets Miss Emi provided. The Kitsune chuckles at his expense and shakes her head. Genji seems to finally take note of him, no longer so distracted by his nephew.

“Brother, you have a cowboy.” Genji muses, and Jesse gives him a sleepy smile and a salute, “Seems you need to rustle him up a room, Miss Emi.”

“Indeed, I should before he falls asleep in the tea.” Miss Emi muses, before sitting straighter, “Let me do that now so he can rest.”

Jesse’s jolted awake by the entire building rumbling. He turns to the kitsune, finding her amber eyes wide and glowing bright yellow, her eight tails extended and shining just as bright. He turns to Hanzo questioningly, who only gives him a nod that yes, this happens. Genji seems highly amused at Jesse’s reaction.

“Never seen a kitsune at work, I take it?” Genji asks, tilting his head with a grin.

“Never.” Jesse admits, looking at the kitsune out of the corner of his eye, though she’s glowing too bright to look at her for too long, “It’s somethin’.”

Hanzo hums in agreement, shielding Ichiro’s eyes from the bright form of Miss Emi as she works. The rumbling stops after a few moments, but Miss Emi remains glowing, though her eyes flick to Hanzo. Hanzo seems perfectly fine to stare at her, unbothered by the light coming off of her.

“Yes, Miss Emi?” Hanzo voices.

“Permission to make changes to the nursery, now that Ichiro is here?” Miss Emi asks, her eyes strangely distant but focused, as if she’s puzzling together something none of them currently are privy to, “It is mostly untouched, not since the late Lady Mieko first requested it made.”

It’s like pouring ice in the room, immediately, the mentioning of one name. Genji flinches, and sits up straight, eyes moving to his brother in concern. Hanzo himself has stiffened up, Ichiro sensing the change in the mood chirps loud in his own variation of concern. Jesse has no clue what any of this means. But it’s not hard to piece it together.

“The nursery will stay the exact way my mate requested it,” Hanzo replies, clipped and pained. “There will be no changes.”

Miss Emi seems cowed, her glow fading, realizing her mistake has her little fox ears lay flat against the top of her head, “My apologies, Lord Hanzo. The nursery will remain as Lady— will remain as is.”

“See that it is so.” Hanzo’s voice is the roughest that Jesse’s ever heard it, and he will not meet the gaze of anyone else at the table.

Genji sends Jesse a cryptic look over the table that he can’t quite decipher, but the younger dragon soon raises to his feet.

“Allow me to see our good cowboy friend to his room, Miss Emi. Am I right in my assumption that it is in the guest wing?” Genji guesses, and at the kitsune’s nod he rounds the table and practically hefts Jesse to his feet, “Come along then, Mr Cowboy.”

Jesse doesn’t get much of a say as he’s bodily pulled along out into the halls, the younger dragon letting go of him once they’re a decent distance from the tea room. Genji at least attempts to smooth out the wrinkles in Jesse’s serape he’s caused as the cowboy rights himself.

“Sorry about dragging you like that.” Genji apologizes as he moves forward through the halls, Jesse stepping alongside him, after a moment continuing the conversation with a soft, “I guess Hanzo hasn’t really gotten over losing Mieko yet.”

“His mate?” Jesse voices for confirmation, “Knew he lost them, though he didn’t like to talk ‘bout it.”

Genji sighs, leading Jesse around a corner further into the castle, “Hanzo’s gone and done the Hanzo thing then.” He turns to look at Jesse, “He’s always had a hard time coping with things, so he becomes almost tunnel visioned into whatever task he’s got. My guess is he just threw himself into protecting Ichiro’s egg, didn’t give himself time to grieve.”

“I don’t know him that well, but it makes sense from what I do know of him. My heart goes outta him, I can’t imagine losin’ someone so close ta you.” Jesse just softly shakes his head, “Hopefully bein’ back here with you an’ Ichiro will be good for him.”

Genji nods, “That is my hope as well. He does seem a little better than when I had seen him last, all those years ago, before he took the egg to a more hidden nest. I suppose I might have you to thank for that, for keeping him company. It must have been lonely for him. He seems to like you, at the very least.”

“Guess that’s why he mighta took to me so quick. I been on my own for long periods of time b’fore too, it ain’t fun and can drive a fella mad.” Jesse scratches his head, “D’ya mind answerin’ one question?” at Genji’s questioning look, Jesse continued, “Why didn’t he just nest here? With Miss Emi’s magic, it seems like there’d be more than enough room.”

Genji nods in understanding, “Ah, yes, I can see why you’d be confused by that.” Genji stops in his tracks and turns to Jesse, crossing his scaled arms in front of himself, “You have to understand some things. All the laws in place now to protect sentient creatures like Hanzo and myself definitely did not exist 300 years ago. Hell, they didn’t even exist 50 years ago. If a clan of humans had a feud with a dragon, they could go to war with them. They could fight with a dragon simply for the prestige of hunting and killing one.”

Genji sighs and his ears droop sadly, and he looks away from Jesse down the hall, eyes distant, “Which happened to Hanzo’s mate. She was killed for her scales, and it was likely that they would have tried to take Ichiro’s egg too if Hanzo and I had not returned from our hunt in time.”

“I hope at the very least those bastards got what was comin’ to them.” Jesse voices and Genji nods in response.

“We made sure none lived, and Hanzo took the egg and made off to find a more secretive nest after Mieko was laid to rest.” Genji shook his head, focusing on Jesse once more, “And to answer the part about Miss Emi, you need to learn a thing or two about Kitsune. She would not have been capable of maintaining the magic she has on the castle currently, not back then. Didn’t have enough tails to.”

 Jesse nods in response, runs a hand through his hair, “At least, at the end of it all, everythin’ you all went through, Ichiro is healthy an’ happy.”

“And we’re all grateful. Grateful for you too, to have accompanied my brother home.” Genji motions to Jesse in his entirety, and also to get him to fall into step alongside him once more, “I’m not entirely sure of the full story, honestly, haven’t had a chance to ask Hanzo, though I guess it would be rude to ask him and not you. So tell me, how does a hunter come to escort a dragon and his son home? I know who you are, after all.”

“I got a recognizable mug, what can I say?” Jesse admits, launching into the tale about how he and Hanzo had met, not missing how Genji’s eyes had narrowed when Jesse mentioned having initially taken a job to deal with the dragon he’d come to know as Hanzo.

Though he’s sure the rest of the tale helped the suspicion Genji harboured pass, especially when told about the poachers.

“An’ now Hanzo an’ the little guy are safe at home.” Jesse finishes the tale, both he and Genji now paused in front of one of the many doors in this specific wing of the castle. 

“I appreciate all you have done for my brother and nephew then.” Genji even gives Jesse a little bow, righting himself again to fix him with a serious stare, “Truly. I would have hated for Hanzo to have lost Ichiro as well.”

“Was just doin’ my job.”

“And yet after your job was complete you offered more than what was required of you.” Genji says, a corner of his mouth lifting, “I wonder why.”

Even exhausted, Jesse can’t help but feel like he’s being studied and scrutinized. He shuffles awkwardly, suddenly unable to look the younger dragon in the eye. He wonders what Genji is even looking for. Or what he’s seen.

“Jus’ wanted ta make sure the little one got home safe, s’all.” Jesse offers, lamely.

“And we are in your debt for your aid in doing so.” Genji motions to the door he’s stopped Jesse in front of, “And as such, I should really let you rest. I’m sure Miss Emi will collect you for supper.”

“That would be mighty swell of her. Already mighty swell of her to even uh,” Jesse looks to the door, “make this guest room up for me.”

“I hope it will be to your liking.” Genji gives Jesse a little salute before he turns to leave, “I will leave it you to your rest, McCree.”

“Thank ya kindly.” 

Jesse entered the guest room and shut the door behind him. It was more western styled, probably because Miss Emi assumed he would prefer such a room. It is done up in warm, fall tones, but Jesse pays little mind how else the room is decorated, heading over and flopping onto the bed provided.

He at least has the mind to make sure his things have made it into the room, which they have before he sinks into the covers to finally get some comfortable rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art for this chapter is done by [Mimi!](https://callmealyre.tumblr.com)


	6. Lingering

Jesse finds it hard to up and leave.

He’s not sure what has him sticking around. Genji’s right, he’s done his job, Ichiro is home safe, Hanzo is home safe. Hell, he’s even been paid and then some, since Jesse’s not been kicked from the castle grounds yet and Miss Emi continues to invite him for dinner with the dragon brothers and Ichiro. His stay is already nearing a full week.

Jesse at least lets Gabriel and his other contacts know he is still alive while he’s puzzling it out, and that his mission was successful. With much better reception this time around. When the call ends Jesse lets his head fall back against the sakura tree he ended up wandering towards to make the call in private. Jesse stares up at the pink flowers and blinks, taking in how the sunlight moves through the flowers and how the breeze frees the petals. One petal lands on his nose on its tumble to the earth, and it nearly makes him sneeze.

He doesn’t get the chance as a tiny dragon paw smacks his face.

Jesse startles and finds himself face to face with an amused Hanzo, Ichiro barely contained in his arms, the young storm dragon intent on trying to climb towards Jesse. He only huffs a laugh and tips his hat to the pair in greeting. Ichiro returns it with a shrill chirp that makes Hanzo flick his ears downward and grimace, though he chuckles in amusement at the expression Jesse makes at the noise.

“I apologize.” Hanzo tries to wrangle Ichiro again, placing one hand just under the infant’s forelegs so his tiny talons wrap around his dad’s fingers, “I decided to show Ichiro his grandmother’s gardens today, and when he saw you he got positively wiggly. I think he wants to say hi.”

“He sure did.” Jesse taps his nose with a finger, looking from Hanzo to the baby dragon, “Ya got me good, Ichiro, I’ll give ya that.” Jesse gives Ichiro a scratch under the chin like he’s seen Hanzo do many times as he turns his attention back to him, “You’re gonna have your hands full when he gets older, that’s for sure.”

“Genji was astute in his observation that he takes after our side of the family.” Hanzo looks down at his son fondly, “We were absolute menaces as hatchlings. Ichiro will be much of the same, its a guarantee at this point. Already sneaking off on his poor _Otousan.”_

“Was that the ruckus last night?”

“Yes.” Hanzo laughs softly, “Gave me a scare, but he had somehow managed to hide in a laundry basket. Burrowed down inside it, curled right up and went to sleep. It took us an hour to find him.”

“Coulda woke me up, I woulda helped ya look,” Jesse says after he chuckles at the mental image. “Four heads woulda been better than just three.”

“It would have been rude to wake our guest.” Hanzo replies, and Jesse feels for a second that he’s being studied before the moment passes, “Plus it will be easier now that we know Ichiro likes to burrow into soft things for nap time and that he’s not picky where said naps occur.”

“Hey, me too, Ichiro, me too.” Jesse wiggles a finger for Ichiro to grab with his little talons, and Jesse’s surprised when the baby grips it rather hard and tries to pull himself from his father’s grasp again more intently than before. “Hey now, be a good boy for your Papa.”

Hanzo just seems to watch Ichiro wiggle for a second, none of his soft chitters and vocalizations calming his child. He then looks to Jesse, tilting his head as his ears flick at another shrill cry from Ichiro before a look of understanding crosses his features. Wordlessly Hanzo gathers Ichiro’s long serpentine form into a much easier hold and steps closer to Jesse with intent.

Jesse blinks and tries to mimic Hanzo’s hold when he realizes he’s being handed the child. Immediately Ichiro’s indignant chittering, chirps and wiggling stop when he’s in Jesse’s arms, laying belly up with his feet against his belly as Jesse holds him much like one would hold a normal human infant. He even starts to purr, tail swishing happily where it hangs down.

“That explains it.” Hanzo muses, giving Ichiro his finger to hold. “He just wanted to be held by you.”

Jesse can’t help the grin that crosses his face as he rocks Ichiro in his arms. Ichiro even extends his neck to rub his face along Jesse’s scruffy jawline, making little happy chirps. Jesse can’t help but laugh a little bit and rub his face back.

“Maybe that’s why. He wants whisker nuzzles.” Jesse muses, turning enough to press a kiss to Ichiro’s cheek.

Hanzo himself just gives Jesse a soft smile, scoffing gently at his son's antics. Ichiro only continues to nuzzle up to Jesse over and over, making happy chirps. Jesse takes a second to look up at Hanzo, finding the elder dragon much closer than he thought.

The two of them lock eyes briefly, and there's an unreadable look in Hanzo's face that Jesse can't quite place. It seems more vulnerable than Jesse's ever seen Hanzo look, even having known the dragon for so short a time. As quick as the moment comes it's gone, and Jesse feels a little like he's witnessed something he shouldn't have.

Between them both, Ichiro chips up at his father questioningly. That breaks the spell further and Hanzo, seemingly lost in his thoughts, looks back to his son. Ichiro begins to wiggle out of Jesse's arms to his dad, and Jesse hands him over.

"Heh, guess he just wanted to see me for a little bit." Jesse rubs a hand through his hair awkwardly, scratching at the back of his neck. "That's just how babies are though, right? Everything is new and shiny and there are so many people to meet and be friends with."

He's rambling, he knows it but Jesse can't figure out why he's so full of nervous energy out of nowhere. Whatever Hanzo was thinking about, it seems to have left himself speechless. It's almost a full minute before Hanzo even addresses him.

"Oh-- yes of course. He's only just over a week old now. There is much he does not know yet." Hanzo cuddles Ichiro closer and presses a little kiss to his head. "I must thank you again for aiding me in protecting him. It is thanks to you that he has made it this far and I get to watch him grow."

"Yeah." Jesse smiles softly, reaching to gently rub Ichiro's cheek with his thumb, "Me too. Glad you an' I could give those assholes a run for their money. I only hope that he can continue to grow happy an' healthy. He deserves it. You both deserve to relax at home with your family after all you all have been through."

Hanzo finally lifts his head from where he's been looking at Ichiro, and he nods gently, "I am glad for that." He turns his gaze back to his boy, "I only wish his mother could be around to watch him grow. We had so many plans, Mieko and I. Plans for more children. Plans for Ichiro's future. I wish he could have known her."

"He will." Jesse places a hand on Hanzo's shoulder softly, "You can always tell him about her, yeah? I'm sure he would love to hear about what crazy things you and her got up to. Just because she's gone don't mean she's _gone_ , y'know?"

Hanzo blinks up at him and Jesse sees that emotion again. It's a deep, lingering sadness. Jesse gives Hanzo's shoulder what he hopes is a reassuring squeeze. There are tears slowly welling behind those deep brown eyes and it breaks Jesse's heart. Jesse can't help but move closer and wrap an arm around him to comfort. Even Ichiro leans up to rub his cheeks against his father’s.

Hanzo just takes a deep, shaky breath and blinks away the tears, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of Ichiro's snout, “It is okay, Ichiro, your father is just missing your mother very much."

Jesse makes a soft noise of agreement, gently petting along Ichiro's fluffy baby fur, "Sometimes you miss someone so much it hurts a lot. But that just means you loved them so much. I dunno if it gets any easier, I never lost someone who meant so much to me like your Papa here did, but I know you're gonna be there for him, yeah?"

Ichiro makes a loud chirp of agreement, wiggling in Hanzo's arms more before Hanzo loosens his hold on his son. With more freedom of movement, Ichiro claws his way up to perch on Hanzo's shoulders, draping himself across his father's shoulders. Ichiro then nuzzles his little face against Hanzo's incessantly, chirping and wiggling to try to show what Jesse assumes is the tiny dragon's own expression of support. 

It certainly makes Hanzo laugh as he reaches up to cup Ichiro's little face and nuzzle back against his son.

"What a sweet boy." Hanzo can't help but smile at Ichiro gently, "You are your mother's son. Equal parts a little terror and a sweetheart."

"Aw, I bet he's not that much of a little troublemaker." Jesse chuckles himself.

Hanzo sends him a withering look, "You haven't yet heard him with the rubber duck Genji got him."

"Oh my god." Jesse full on cackles now, "Oh no. One that squeaks?"

"Yes." Hanzo looks like a personal slight has been made against him, "One that squeaks. And I don't know if you've noticed, but--" Hanzo reaches up and gather's Ichiro back into his arms, holding his son under the front legs with one arm while he offers his son his fingers to teethe on, "His fangs are slowly starting to come in. Which means he's starting to _teethe_ , which means he likes to _chew on things_ , especially that duck."

"Oh my god." Jesse presses a hand to his mouth to try to contain his wheezing, "Oh, I wonder where that ducky is now."

"I've told Ichiro that Ducky is only for bath time."Hanzo says with mock gravity, "Until then he's content to nibble on me."

"It don't hurt ya none to have him nip at you?" Jesse presses closer again to coo at Ichiro, "I bet his fangs are gonna be real sharp when he gets them in."

"Oh yes, they will be," Hanzo seems to be thoroughly distracted again from his sorrow from moments earlier because of his son, "Baby dragons get their fangs pretty early compared to most other creatures if you haven't guessed."

“Yeah, I was gatherin’ that.” Jesse scrunches his nose in distaste, "At least he's not gotta eat that meat puree stuff that ya usually make for him much longer."

Hanzo stares at him for a second before he snorts in amusement, "I suppose from your point of view, that is rather disgusting isn't it?"

"You have _no_ idea."

Hanzo only shakes his head, still amused. Talking of food only makes Ichiro wiggle excitedly and chirp loudly for his father's attention. Hanzo only looks down at his boy and laugh softly in disbelief.

"You think that being a hatchling once myself I would remember how hungry one can be." Hanzo shakes his head fondly, turning his head to look back up Jesse, "Would you want to join us for lunch?"

"As long as I ain't the one making that meat pudding for him, sure."

Hanzo scoffs and rolls his eyes again, "It is not _that_ gross. You humans mash fruit up for your little ones all the time."

"Yeah, sure okay, but that's fruit?"

"Then what about ground beef? Isn't that the same thing until it is cooked?" Hanzo starts to walk away from Jesse and he starts to walk alongside Hanzo, keeping pace easily.

Jesse opens his mouth to make a counterpoint but then he stops. Hanzo only looks at him knowingly, and Jesse mock scowls. Not too shortly after Jesse playfully huffs his defeat. A moment passes before Hanzo _honest to god giggles,_ and Jesse can't help but find himself laughing along.

Jesse makes the mistake of looking over at Hanzo as he's laughing, and finds whatever he was about to say dying on his tongue. Hanzo's incredibly handsome in his humanoid form, Jesse's not a stranger to that fact. But to see him so delighted, with Ichiro wiggling happily in his father's arms also so delighted at the joy around him; Its a moment that Jesse feels like he's simultaneously encroaching on and a part of.

Jesse's never thought he'd want to be a family man. Now here he is witness to a sweet familial moment but not quite as a part of the family. It's a strange between he's found himself in. Jesse's not quite sure what part of this moment is making his heart ache more.

"Jesse?"

Hanzo's voice brings Jesse out of his thoughts, the elder dragon looking up at him with concern. Jesse immediately gives Hanzo a reassuring smile to try to chase the concern from his face.

"Sorry, got caught up in my head." Jesse apologizes, "The thought of lunch distracted me, that's all."

Hanzo doesn't look too convinced, but he leaves it be, leading Jesse from the garden into the castle itself. The smell of food does help distract Jesse enough for himself to ignore those previous thoughts in the garden.

Miss Emi outdoes herself again with lunch, and Jesse watches Hanzo attempt to get Ichiro to stay still enough to feed. He almost chokes on his ramen when Ichiro grabs the bowl of the grounded up meat and pulls it closer to himself instead of going for the pieces Hanzo offers to him with chopsticks. The small dragon ends up upending the bowl all over Hanzo and himself. Ichiro lets out a series of long, triumphant chirps up at his dad that has Hanzo’s face melting from shock into disbelief before he puts his heads in his hands, shaking with laughter.

“What’d he tell ya?” Jesse asks, keeping his bowl well away from the small dragon, lest Ichiro continue his destruction.

“He—“ Hanzo takes a breath to calm himself to make sure he’s coherent past his giggles, “He’s essentially telling me he’s messy and needs a bath. Therefore he gets to play with Mr Ducky.”

“His logic is sound.” Jesse agrees, waggling a finger accusingly at Ichiro, “Didja do that on purpose, kiddo? You _are_ a little troublemaker.” He turns the accusatory finger wiggling at Hanzo, “Shouldn’t have told him that Mr Ducky was for baths only, now he’s plotting against ya.”

“My own son, plotting against me.” Hanzo picks Ichiro up off of his lap under his little forelegs, and playfully sways the small dragon, “Did you do that on purpose, Ichiro~? Are you being a little naughty noodle?”

Ichiro, for his part, blinks his large gold eyes innocently up at his father, tilts his head and chirps as cutely as possible which sends another giggle fit through the adults. Jesse just begins to settle down enough to finish his last few bites of the ramen as Hanzo cleans Ichiro off enough to at least pick up the infant without dropping meat mush through the castle.

“Need any help with him?” Jesse asks, “I ain’t seen Genji around and Ichiro looks like he’s gonna continue to be a handful for ya.”

Hanzo looks back up after finally wrangling Ichiro still enough to pick up properly. He seems to consider Jesse for a second before he nods.

“Yes, Genji has gone off to talk with Miss Emi’s brother, who can help make toys for baby dragons to teethe on that _hopefully_ do not squeak.” Hanzo wiggles a finger down at Ichiro, who has flopped in his father’s arms dramatically to pout, “Yes, I’m talking about your ducky. I know you like the sound but it is not nice to squeak it in people’s ears.”

Jesse has to snort and shake his head at the whole situation in front of him. Even Hanzo can’t keep the stern look on his face when dealing with Ichiro’s antics. Hanzo adjusts his hold on Ichiro to cuddle his son against his chest, both of them are covered in meat mush stains anyway.

“So if you feel like helping me with the challenge of bathing a sneaky little baby dragon, you may,” Hanzo answers, moving to stand.

Jesse stands himself and moves around the table to help Hanzo up, especially when Ichiro starts to wiggle excitedly, understanding he’s getting his sought-after bath. Hanzo gives Jesse a nod of thanks before he urges him to follow him through the halls. Jesse finds himself walking at Hanzo’s side, chatting amiably about basic baby dragon care.

“I gotta hand it to you,” Jesse voices as they enter the bathroom and Hanzo hands him Ichiro to hold as the elder dragon goes to run the water in the tub, “all that is a lot to keep up with. But you’re doing pretty well on your own.”

Hanzo smiles a little sadly as he makes sure the water is not too hot for his son before he motions to Jesse to set Ichiro down on the stool in front of the shower hose.

“I am trying my best,” Hanzo voices, removing his outer yukata that's stained and hanging it outside the shower room before he closes the door, “Genji helps best that he can as well.” He looks over at Jesse and takes note of his metal prosthetic, “This entire room is made to get wet, I’m sure you’ve noticed. Will your arm be alright?”

Jesse wiggles all of the fingers on this prosthetic and nods, “Yeah, don’t worry. Had to get it enchanted with water resistance after a tussle with a Water Weird. Nasty thing, that one.”

“Sounds like a story.” Hanzo comments wryly, “I can’t say for certain that bathing a baby dragon will go as smoothly as that ordeal for you.”

“I’d take helpin’ little Ichiro to get clean over _that fight_ any day.” Jesse kneels down and gently pokes Ichiro’s nose, laughing when the baby immediately starts to gnaw on his finger, “I doubt this cute lil’ fella is gonna try to drown me.”

“No.” Hanzo agrees, “But when his bath is over you will look like you have.”

Jesse looks up at Hanzo and grins at the fondly exasperated look on Hanzo’s face. Ichiro, tired of waiting, chirps loudly and hops in place underneath the head of the shower hose. When neither adult moves fast enough he stands on his hind legs and reaches his tiny paws for it. Hanzo gently pulls him to sit back down.

“You weren’t kiddin’.” Jesse laughs, giving Ichiro a comforting pat along his soft baby fluff when the little dragon chitters in disappointment, “At least you’ll never have a problem getting him to have a bath.”

“The problem is getting him out.” Hanzo replies, kneeling down on the floor near his son, “Now, you man the hose while I soap him down for his bath. If I were you I’d sit on the stool, better to be up away from the water while bathing Ichiro.”

Jesse grabs the hose off the wall at Hanzo’s instruction once he is seated, having to move the hose itself out of Ichiro’s little grabby claws constantly while Hanzo explains how to turn it on. Once the water is actually on does Ichiro relatively settle down, and Jesse has to laugh at the baby trying to nuzzle the spray as he purrs loudly. Hanzo hums some sort of song, uncaring if his under yukata gets damp as he washes the remaining mess off of Ichiro.

Jesse helps by trying to move the spray to help rinse Ichiro off once Hanzo finishes cleaning his son. Ichiro always seems to want to keep his face in the spray so that proves more difficult than actually washing him off. Hanzo has to eventually hold Ichiro still so Jesse can finish rinsing the soap out of Ichiro’s baby fluff, running the head of the shower along the infant’s back.

Once Ichiro is thoroughly rinsed, Jesse places the shower hose back into its place on the wall, grimacing as Ichiro chirps loudly and starts to hop in place, splashing in the remaining puddles of water. Hanzo just chuckles and attempts to collect his son, who wiggles out of his father’s grasp and decides Jesse’s a perfect perch.

Jesse sputters as Ichiro climbs him and he’s suddenly got a very wet baby dragon across his shoulders. Hanzo only laughs warmly and tries to reach for Ichiro, only for the baby dragon to scramble across Hanzo’s outstretched arms. Hanzo tries to turn to catch Ichiro before he leaps towards the bathtub. Jesse too is too slow to catch the infant.

Ichiro doesn’t even make the distance, hitting the side of the tub with a squeak himself before he tumbles backwards and ends up upside down looking bewildered at the two adults. The moment stretches on as Ichiro puzzles out what just happened before his little eyes start to water and he lets out a long, distressed trill.

“Oh, Ichiro.” Hanzo moves to gather his son into his arms, pressing kisses to Ichiro’s now tear-streaked cheeks as he checks him over for any damage, “Did you get hurt? Where does it hurt, my little daredevil?”

Ichiro warbles out another sad chitter that has Hanzo nodding thoughtfully before proceeding to kiss his son’s boo-boos better. Jesse feels a flood of relief that Ichiro isn’t any worse for wear as he watches Hanzo comfort his child. It turns into a flood of sobriety a second later, as Jesse realizes he too had moved to gather Ichiro close to comfort. 

Again, he feels like a stranger encroaching on something he shouldn’t be privy to, these soft moments between a father and his son. Between a family. One he’s not a part of.

The ache in his heart that begins anew at this realization tells him that he wants to be, and Jesse shoves that thought back where it came from. His bounty alone makes the mere thought of a family of his own an impossibility. There’s no way Jesse could ever settle down with someone with that looming over him.

Hell, it had even gotten him into trouble when Ichiro’s egg had been taken.

Jesse is brought back from those thoughts when a hand settles on his shoulder. He looks up to find Hanzo staring at him with gentle concern.

“Are you alright, Jesse?” once Hanzo has his attention, he lifts his hand from Jesse’s shoulder. Perhaps his touch lingers just a second too long, or that’s just wishful thinking on Jesse’s part, “You seemed to have gotten lost in your head for a moment.”

Jesse instinctually ducks his head to avoid the dragon’s gaze, afraid of what Hanzo might see, “Heh, yeah for a second, that’s all.” He raises his head to give Hanzo a crooked smile, “You’re a good dad, y’know?”

“Oh.” Hanzo seems taken aback at the sudden compliment, his cheeks darkening even under the scales that adorn them and his ears flick back, “I am just trying my best.”

“Ichiro is a lucky little fella.” Jesse reaches over and gently rubs a hand over Ichiro’s head, “I bet he knows how much his dad loves him already.”

“I hope so.” Hanzo looks down at his son he’s cradled close, wipes the remnants of the tears off of Ichiro’s cheeks. He lifts the babe closer to smooch the top of his little head between the nubs of Ichiro’s horns, “Love him so much, so glad he’s here now, after waiting so long.”

“I bet.” Jesse shakes his head, “Still can’t believe you waited a thousand years for him. Heck, I hope you don’t mind me sayin’, but you look good for your age.”

Hanzo has to adjust his hold on Ichiro to place a hand over his lower face when he tries to cover up his snort in response, “Thank you. I suppose that compared to you, I am positively ancient, aren’t I?” Hanzo moves to the bathtub to set the now calm Ichiro into the shallow water. 

“Wouldn’t call ya ancient,” Jesse can’t help but smile when Ichiro immediately perks up once Hanzo lets go of him and the little dragon now has free reign to play in the water, “Perhaps jus’ long lived?”

One of the corners of Hanzo’s mouth lifts even if the dragon is rolling his eyes, “Very well. Watch him for me while I go get the duck that started this whole endeavour?”

“Yeah, I got ‘im.” Jesse shuffles closer to the side of the tub, and Ichiro chirps up at him happily, “You be good while yer Papa is gettin’ your toy.”

Ichiro just sits up on his hind legs and leans up to the edge of the tub where Jesse’s leant over to playfully bat at Jesse’s face. Jesse laughs softly and lets Ichiro grab onto one of his metallic fingers. Ichiro nips at Jesse’s fingers playfully, chittering away as he does. 

“Glad you’re already feelin’ better, Ichiro,” Jesse cups the little dragon’s face and gives him a scratch behind the ears, making Ichiro purr and swish his tail happily through the bathwater, “No tumble is gonna slow you down, hm?”

Ichiro chirps loud and wiggles in place, moving from Jesse to splash around in the tub. Hanzo steps back into the room just in time to watch Ichiro flick water up at Jesse with his tail, bursting into laughter. 

“Ichiro, I thought I told you not to do that.” Hanzo scolds his son halfheartedly, joining Jesse to kneel at the side of the tub, “Maybe I shouldn’t give you your Ducky back, hm?”

Ichiro immediately stops his splashing and looks up at his father with wide eyes. He gives a little questioning chirp and Hanzo tilts his head and gives his son a pointed look. Ichiro chitters softly and turns to look up at Jesse and chirrups and chitters up at him.

“He says sorry.” Hanzo translates for Ichiro, pulling out a bright yellow rubber ducky and holding it out to Ichiro before he hands Jesse a towel.

Ichiro immediately grabs the rubber duck and falls back into the tub, the ducky in his jaws as he starts to nibble and chomp on it, causing it to squeak. Hanzo’s ears flick back at the onslaught of incessant noise but he smiles at Ichiro’s enthusiasm. Jesse dries off his face with the offered towel and chuckles softly. 

“Been meaning to ask ‘bout that, Ichiro can already talk to ya?” Jesse throws the towel over his shoulder until he might need it again, “You seem to have conversations with him, at the very least.”

“He talks, yes.” Hanzo looks over at his baby boy splashing around in the tub squeaking the rubber duck and smiles softly, “Not any language a human can understand, of course, but he speaks.”

“Amazin’. He’s such a smart little guy. When will he start talkin’ in other languages, I wonder?” Jesse smiles at Ichiro, who’s stopped his splashing to look up at the two adults talking about him. 

“Hm.” Hanzo looks over at Ichiro and thinks, “I am not totally sure, but we’ll teach him Japanese first, naturally. English studies can come later when he’s in school. If he desires to learn other languages, he will have the resources to do so, I will make sure of it.”

“If he needs a Spanish tutor one day, lemme know.” Jesse grins, “Grew up speakin’ it, me an’ my Mama, so I’d consider myself pretty fluent.”

Hanzo smiles and Jesse feels his heart skip a beat, “If he desires to learn, I will let you know.”

Jesse finds his smile growing larger, and his cheeks heating up. He has to duck his head to look anywhere else than Hanzo’s face. If Jesse was finding it hard to entertain the thought of leaving before, he’s gotten his reason why. His thoughts are interrupted as Ichiro splashes Jesse's face with water again and triumphantly squeaks the ducky in his mouth, and Jesse can’t help but laugh even as Hanzo scolds the baby. Make that two reasons.

Jesse wonders how he’s going to get himself out of this mess, or if he even wants to.


	7. More Complications

After two weeks of staying at Shimada Castle, Jesse knows he’s doomed.

He means to leave, absolutely. It is always on his mind, he’s a wanderer and sooner or later someone is going to come for his bounty and endanger the dragons who have been so hospitable to him. But then Hanzo will approach him to ask for help with Ichiro when Genji is not around and Jesse can’t find it in him to say no. Not to Hanzo and never to Ichiro.

Neither of the dragons mention it either. Hanzo likely because of Ichiro constantly providing a distraction, and Genji likely out of politeness. Thought Jesse will catch Genji giving him an odd look from time to time. The younger of the dragon brothers never seems to seek him out either, if he does take issue with Jesse still here.

Miss Emi doesn’t seem to care at all, but Jesse’s just certain that at this point the kitsune thrives on having guests and her employers to take care of. And of course the rapidly growing Ichiro.

Ichiro has grown from ferret-sized to the size of a fairly long house cat, and Hanzo has a harder time of wrangling Ichiro when the child wants to do anything. He’s also started to attempt to mimic basic words if Hanzo trying to teach him phrases at the supper table is any indication.

“Can you say “Otousan”, Ichiro?” Hanzo coos to his son, who’s sitting in his lap looking from his dad to the food on the table and back.  
  
“Ooooto” Ichiro attempts to mimic, his little voice shrill.

“Perhaps something easier.” Hanzo chuckles and tries another word, “Can you say “Duck”?”

“DUH!” Ichiro trills and wiggles in Hanzo’s lap to the amusement of the adults.

“Blows my mind he’s growin’ so fast.” Jesse voices softly, grinning at the baby dragon who’s decided he’s had enough of trying to speak and is instead trying to grab at Hanzo’s chopsticks as the elder dragon eats, “His fangs already almost in, ain’t they?”

“Very soon they will be done growing in.” Hanzo pulls his chopsticks from Ichiro’s searching grasp to pop the piece of takoyaki into his mouth. He smooches his son on the forehead after he’s done chewing, “Not for babies, Ichiro. You can try when you get your fangs.”

Ichiro, already fed but forever curious tries to go for the takoyaki on Hanzo’s plate instead, but Hanzo’s ready for the movement and puts his arm under Ichiro’s forelegs to lift him away from the table with a fond sigh.

“Want me to take him, Hanzo?” Genji offers, already reaching out to take his nephew, smiling wide when Ichiro is handed off to him, “You’re being a little troublemaker, Ichiro. Let your dad eat.”

Ichiro chitters indignantly and seems to pout in Genji’s arms. Jesse just smiles at the entire situation in front of him. Jesse grabs another few pieces of takoyaki for his own plate. Ichiro watches the movement from where he’s flopped over dramatically in Genji’s arms, more or less the draconic version of a temper tantrum.

“Now Ichiro, don’t sass yer uncle an’ Papa like that.” Jesse scolded playfully, grinning when Ichiro chirps in response and rights himself and makes a little purr growl, “Be a good boy now.”

Hanzo just smiles softly at the exchange between his son and Jesse, his tail flicking contently behind him. Ichiro settles in Genji’s arms as the adults finish their supper, his own little tail flicking about as he watches everyone at the table. Miss Emi does come into the room to whisk away the plates once everyone is done. Ichiro chirps questioningly at Jesse when everyone slowly starts to leave the table and Jesse turns to Hanzo with a raised eyebrow.

“He’s asking you for a bath.” Hanzo says with a soft chuckle, “He’s gotten his bath schedule down to a tee. I guess he thinks it’s your turn to bathe him.” 

Jesse hums and reaches over to give Ichiro a scratch behind his ear, “You better not splash me again if I do, kiddo. I dunno how yer Papa does it, got the patience of a saint. Probably helps when you don’t mind the water either.” 

Hanzo laughs softly in reply as Ichiro is handed back to him by Genji. He hums softly and looks up at Jesse, “Will you aid me?”

Jesse nods and pretends that he doesn’t see Genji wiggle his eyebrows at him when Hanzo isn’t looking. Ichiro looks up between them both, purring loudly. Hanzo purrs loud to match his son.

“Now, you better be good for your Papa, Ichiro,” Jesse says as he pokes Ichiro’s nose.

Ichiro chitters and seems to consider something, tilting his head, looking from Hanzo to Jesse, “Pa—“

All adults freeze and look at the tiny baby dragon, who is deep in concentration. Ichiro sticks his tongue out as he thinks, his eyebrows furrowed cutely. Hanzo watches with bright eyes and a low, encouraging rumble of a purr in his throat.

“Paa—“ Ichiro wiggles excitedly in Hanzo’s arms, “Papa!”

Ichiro then dissolves into excited chirps and chitters up at Hanzo and Jesse. Jesse's mystified by the sheer intelligence of Ichiro for all of five seconds, up until he looks up at Hanzo’s troubled expression. Hanzo seems to sense that he’s looking because the dragon lifts his head to meet his gaze, expression unreadable.

“What’d he say to you? After, y’know, his first word that I could at least understand.” Jesse presses, voice soft. Something about Hanzo’s expression has him feeling self-conscious.

“He just,” Hanzo begins, looks down to Ichiro and back up to Jesse, “He says it’s Papa’s turn to play with him in the bath.”

“You always play with him in the bath, don’tcha?” Jesse's now just confused by this whole situation and casts a glance at Genji.

Genji himself seems to be looking between the three of them with an intrigued look. Jesse then turns back to Hanzo, still lost.

“I’m _Otousan_.” Hanzo says slowly, “Ichiro says that _you_ are _Papa.”_

Jesse feels like his stomach is in his throat.

“Ah. Heh.” Jesse feels his face heat up, suddenly under the scrutiny of three dragons, “I-I s’pose I can see why he sees me like that.” he finishes lamely.

Hanzo is still staring at him with an unreadable expression. Genji himself has winced in sympathy, for Hanzo or Jesse himself Jesse has no idea. Jesse scratches the back of his neck and takes a step back.

“I—” Jesse looks to Ichiro, who’s looking up at him questioningly, “I think it’s best if, if yer Pa— if yer Daddy jus’ took care of your bath tonight, Ichiro.”

 He then turns heel and makes a hasty retreat. Jesse walks through the walls, not entirely sure where he’s going until he’s at the door to his own guest room and sliding it open, closing it behind him. He stops for a moment, standing in the darkness of the room, looking around at it all. All the finery of the borrowed room, and then at his one worn bag with everything to his name inside it

“Just what the hell have you been playing at, McCree.” Jesse scolds himself.

He walks over and sits on the edge of the provided bed, taking his head into his hands. There’s nothing for it now, he has to leave, Jesse thinks to himself, he’s overstayed his welcome. He just can’t stop thinking of Hanzo’s face and he wishes that the dragon was more readable in that moment.

He should have left as soon as the agreement with Hanzo had come to an end. Instead, he’s become too attached, playing at a sense of normalcy and domesticity. Attached to Hanzo and Ichiro especially.

Dangerous.

Jesse rubs at his face before getting up to collect some of his scattered belongings in the room, tossing them back into his bag. He’ll make sure he has everything of his, wait for when the castle is quiet and leave. Maybe have one last warm shower in a place with actual water pressure before he heads out.

Mind made up, Jesse moves to leave his guest room to have said shower, forgetting to close the door behind him fully, too deep in his thoughts to realize. 


	8. The Ichiro Intermission

Elsewhere in the castle, Ichiro raids the bathroom cupboard. His Otousan likely doesn’t realize that he knows where Mr Ducky is hidden, but the little dragon will take the rare opportunity that his father’s back is turned to rescue Mr Ducky from his soap-surrounded prison.

His Otousan is currently talking with his uncle in the next room over, in hushed tones, so Ichiro will have to be quiet. Ichiro will have to make sure Mr Ducky is quiet too, as much as he wants to make Mr Ducky squeak. Carefully, Ichiro picks up his most prized treasure in his mouth and turns carefully to leave the bathroom.

Otousan must still think Ichiro is in his nursery nest because Ichiro cannot hear him looking for him yet. Ichiro presses himself to the ground as he passes the doorway, passing by as stealthily as he’s capable. Uncle Genji has been teaching him the best ways to play hide and seek and to not let anyone hear which way you’re going when you hide. Ichiro is going to be the very best at hide and seek.

Ichiro can hear Uncle Genji talking to his Otousan through the cracked doorway as he passes, a soft consoling tone. Otousan had been very upset earlier, but Ichiro is not entirely privy as to why. Otousan also, in general, carries a sadness with him, Ichiro has come to notice, but it always seems to lessen when he was around Papa.

Uncle Genji says Otousan had been very lonely for a very long time before Ichiro hatched. Perhaps that’s the sadness. Ichiro hopes that Papa continues to be around to make Otousan less sad.

When Ichiro passes the door without being noticed, he turns a small circle in the intersection of the hallway, little claws clicking on the wood floor. He will have to hide Mr Ducky somewhere that only he knows where he is. 

Maybe Papa could help with that.

Ichiro trots his way through the winding halls to Papa’s room. He has to stop to press himself against a dark corner when Miss Emi rounds a corner. She is humming to herself and doesn’t seem to notice Ichiro. Ichiro waits until she turns another corner before he sneaks the rest of the way to Papa’s room, wiggling inside through the cracked door.

Papa isn’t inside and Ichiro sets Mr Ducky down on the floor to give a soft, questioning chirp. When Papa immediately doesn’t show or answer Ichiro just chitters and picks up Mr Ducky again. He’ll just have to find his own hiding place for Mr Ducky.

Ichiro spots Papa’s bag and decides that that could work. Ichiro trots over and lifts up onto his back legs to flip the top of the large rucksack open with his snout. It’s not too hard to simply hop inside it, especially for a baby dragon at Ichiro’s size, so he does. Wiggling further down inside, under Papa’s clothes and other things, Ichiro places Mr Ducky in amongst the objects of the bag.

Content, Ichiro curls up and purrs with his lone treasured object. Hiding your treasure is a lot of work, and Ichiro yawns with a squeak himself. He licks his chops after and turns a tight little circle the best he can inside the bag, pulling one of Papa’s serapes packed away inside it around himself to bundle up for a nap. It doesn’t take long for the little dragon to drift off to sleep.


	9. The Storm

Jesse returns to his room a half hour later after a good long think in the shower. The rest of the castle is as quiet as it has ever been, and honestly, Jesse figures it’s best to rip off the bandaid in one go. The more he lingers, the harder it will be for him to leave, and he’s already overstayed his welcome.

Jesse grabs the last few remaining belongings, which basically amounts to his favourite serape and his hat plus his bag. It’s heavier than he remembers as he grabs it and pulls it onto his back, but Jesse chalks it up to him having spent two weeks without it constantly on his back and no longer being used to the weight.

He tries to tell himself it’s definitely not because he feels guilty leaving without a goodbye.

Jesse stamps the thought down and quietly exits the room, and carefully moves through the hallways of the castle. No one stops him, the dragon brothers seem to be elsewhere and Miss Emi is usually moving about maintaining the magic on the castle itself. Jesse doesn’t cross her path, and before long he’s crossing the stone garden in the courtyard to slip out of the huge front gate.

From there he just keeps walking.

He probably should have thought of a destination at some point while he was turning over the pros and cons of leaving in his head. Jesse stops for a second, and looks around before he ducks into a side alley and continues on. Out of the city is a start, at the very least. 

Overhead, thunder rolls.

Jesse makes it into the countryside before the rain starts to fall. He pulls his serape around him tighter, the rain is ice cold as it pelts against him. He wonders what’s made the weather turn so suddenly as he stops to wait it out under a tree. The night had been beautiful and clear before.

He entertains the idea that it could be because Hanzo is upset that he left since the dragon seems to be able to call storms when his emotions are high. Jesse doubts that’s the reason, and scolds himself for such wishful thinking. He goes to lean back against the tree, jumping when his bag _chirps_ when it’s squished between him and the tree.

Jesse goes pale as a sheet and carefully takes off his bag. He curls one arm under it and reaches to open the bag. He doesn’t need to, for Ichiro pops up out of it with an annoyed chirp and chitter for the slight of being smooshed. Jesse just stares wide-eyed at the baby dragon. Ichiro wiggles out of the bag a little more to press close to nuzzle Jesse happily.

“ _Ichiro!_ ” Jesse pulls Ichiro out of the bag and lets it drop, uncaring if the contents spill on the wet ground, “You’re s’posed ta be home with your ‘tousan! Hanzo’s going to _skin me alive!_ ”

Ichiro, still too young to realize the consequences of his actions, merely paps Jesse’s face with a paw and chitters happily. Jesse just pulls Ichiro closer, tucking the baby into his serape to keep him out of the freezing rain.

“I gotta get you home. Your ‘tousan is going to rip me apart if he thinks I was tryin’ ta take you from him.” Jesse hefts his backpack back up, thankfully nothing else had spilt out, but when he pulls it onto his back he hears a tell-tale squeak of a rubber duck, “Oh my god, you brought your ducky too?! _Ichiro!_ You’re gonna be in so much trouble with yer Daddy.”

Jesse steps back out into the rain, cuddling Ichiro closer and looking around. He had a feeling why the weather had turned so suddenly. At the very least, it meant that Hanzo could be already out on the lookout for Ichiro. A sudden flash of lightning striking a tree not too far from Jesse and the silhouette of a huge serpentine form looming above the tree line about twenty feet away confirms this.

Jesse practically jogs towards the dragon, Ichiro chittering up at him the whole way. Jesse keeps Ichiro close to himself, especially when he nearly trips over roots in his haste. Soon enough, he’s within range of the dragon, and suddenly nervous he walks over to Hanzo more slowly.

Ichiro chirps up at his father in greeting, and the elder dragon growls low in his throat. A sound that has Ichiro shrinking into Jesse’s serape with an apologetic chirp. A flash of lightning later, Hanzo is stomping up to Jesse in his humanoid form, unbothered by the chill rain plastering his hair and sleep yukata to him.

“ _Ichiro.”_ Hanzo hisses, though his worry seeps through his anger all the same, and Jesse hands Hanzo his son, “You scared me half to death.”

The flashes of lightning illuminating Hanzo’s face are all the glimpses Jesse has of the look of sheer relief the elder dragon sports. Jesse takes it as his cue to take his leave and makes to turn to head back the way he was going. He doesn’t expect a tug to his serape in the form of Hanzo’s grip.

“Why were _you_ out here?” Hanzo asks, his eyebrows furrowed, voice guarded.

“Ain’t what yer thinkin’, I promise.” Jesse turns back towards him, hoping Hanzo can see his honesty, “Ichiro snuck into my bag, I promise ya, the last thing I would ever do is take him from his ‘tousan.”

Ichiro chitters up softly at Hanzo, and the elder dragon looks to his son and sighs. He glances back up at Jesse, looking hurt. The look is surprising to Jesse.

“So, you’re leaving.” Hanzo voices, barely audible over the storm above.

Strangely, Hanzo sounds betrayed.

Jesse suddenly doesn’t know what to say. Especially in reply to that tone. When Hanzo turns from Jesse it’s his turn to tug Hanzo back. 

“Hey.” Jesse takes a moment to try to get his thoughts in order, “Its not you, okay? Its— Its dangerous for a fella like me ta hang around ya too long. I don’t want anyone hurtin’ you or comin’ for Ichiro. Someone or somethin’ is gonna recognize this mug o’ mine an’ try to get all those zeroes on my head an—“

“Who would even think to look for you at Shimada Castle? And even if they did, did you think I would let them harm you?” Hanzo interrupts, eyes and lightning flashing, “Do you think me incapable of protecting you?”

“In all honesty, I didn’t know I was even yours to protect,” Jesse says softly.

Hanzo blinks and takes a shaky breath, his ears flicked down in shame. Jesse presses closer, pulls his extra serape out of his bag to wrap around Hanzo’s shoulders. There’s more than just rainwater streaking down Hanzo’s face when the next lightning bolt flashes. 

“I’m sorry.” Hanzo whispers, “I—“

“S’okay.” Jesse lets Hanzo lean into him, wraps an arm loosely around Hanzo’s waist. “S’okay, Han.”

Hanzo looks up at him with watery eyes, though he chuckles softly when Ichiro leans up to nuzzle him in concern. Hanzo cuddles his son closer and leans more into Jesse’s warmth. Eventually, Hanzo speaks again.

“I cannot keep you here, I know. It’s selfish of me to want you to remain near. To ask you to stay. I have grown used to you being near, and so has Ichiro, I—“ Hanzo dips his head down, “If you still wish to leave I will not stop you, but at least know you have a home here if you want it.”

Trying not to get his hopes up too high, Jesse tips Hanzo’s face up to look him in the eyes, “Is there a reason you want me to stay?”

“Ichiro, he sees you like his other parent,” Hanzo explains, “I would hate for him to lose another parent if he indeed sees you as such.”

“Just for Ichiro then?” Jesse says softly, patiently.

Hanzo takes his time before he answers, “You must understand, it is— It is _incredibly_ difficult for a dragon to lose their mate. We don’t give our hearts away so easily,” Hanzo pauses, mulls over his words, “As such when they are broken we guard our hearts just as fiercely as our treasures. As such,” Hanzo repeats before he continues, “It’s hard for us to move forward with our lives after losing the one dearest to us.”

Jesse nods in understanding, comfortingly rubbing Hanzo’s shoulder. Hanzo looks like he’s not done speaking by the looks of it, so Jesse waits.

“Genji and I talked, after what happened earlier tonight.” Hanzo starts again, “He asked me why I had shut down after Ichiro had called you Papa. At first, I didn’t have words for him but I figure it’s because even now I still feel tremendous guilt over not being there to protect M-Mieko.” The tears are pouring faster than the rain, the storm having softened considerably, “And that— that after failing her how could I even _fathom_ replacing her?”

“You’re not.” Jesse says softly, gathering Hanzo and his son close, “Han, you can’t do that to yourself. It’s not fair ta punish yourself like this.”

Hanzo nods and pulls Ichiro closer as he sobs into his son’s fur. Jesse curls around Hanzo to pull him into a protective hug best he can without crushing Ichiro between them.

“I think,” Jesse says softly, resting his head on Hanzo’s shoulder briefly, “I think this—“ he pulls back enough to motion between Hanzo and himself, “ _Whatever_ we want _this_ to be, is a talk you an’ I should have somewhere warmer, when Ichiro is safe back at home, yeah?”

Hanzo sniffles and pulls back a little himself to nod, “Yes. My apologies. I forgot you’re not as impervious to rain as Ichiro and I.”

Jesse nods and dips his head so his hat hides his own watery eyes when Hanzo parts from him. He blinks when Hanzo slips his clawed hand into Jesse’s mechanical one.

“Let's go,” Hanzo says simply when Jesse lifts his head back up to look at him. “We need to get you out of the rain.”

Jesse nods and squeezes Hanzo’s hand with his own, and lets the dragon lead him back to the castle.


	10. After the Storm

When Jesse returns to Shimada Castle with Hanzo and Ichiro, he learns that dragon nests are the comfiest fucking thing on this entire earth. Not because of reasons one would assume, considering the ground he and Hanzo are now carefully treading, but because being in the icy cold storm and flying via dragon all the way back for a quicker return to the castle wasn’t the best for his health.

Hanzo’s piled the blankets and pillows around Jesse to make him comfortable as he coughs and sneezes up a storm of his own. The dragon himself is sitting at Jesse’s side, looking more mildly concerned with each sneeze and each flying tissue. When Jesse stops his coughing fit is when Hanzo presses closer, and Jesse finally gets a chance to glance up at him to spot the soup in the dragon’s clawed hands. He’s still getting used to seeing Hanzo in his humanoid form, and he can’t help but reach for the dragon’s winding tail and pet the golden fur and sapphire scales.

Hanzo’s sigh is fond but exasperated as the fevered Jesse pulls the feathered end of his tail closer to run his fingers through the tuft of silky fur, “You’re so darn handsome, Han.”

“And you’re still very ill.” Hanzo reminds him, spooning some of the broth up for Jesse to eat, “I’m still sorry for it, by the way. When my emotions are high, I have a tendency to call storms. I didn’t mean for you to take ill from it. I should have had more foresight.”

“S’okay, Han.” Jesse lets Hanzo spoon him the broth, and he hums gratefully that it’s at least delicious and not the herbal medicine mess Hanzo had fed him earlier, “It’s my fault. I acted a fool an’ hurt ya. I shouldn’t have acted so rash an’ up an’ left like that.”

“I hope to put that behind us.” Hanzo admits softly, putting the soup spoon down for a second to adjust the cold cloth on Jesse’s forehead so it doesn’t slip down more, “It won’t do us any favours moving forward. Which we will discuss when you are well once more.”

“Ain’t that sick, honey.” Jesse’s smile is a little dopey from the fever and his eyes are bleary, “Never too sick ta admire a work o’ art.”

“You need to eat and rest instead of making passes at me,” Hanzo replies, stirring the soup before feeding more to Jesse.

Jesse eats the offered spoonful before he continues. “And miss the chance to compliment a real-life angel?”

“Is it a habit of yours to flirt on your sickbed?”

“Only when I’m being treated by the most handsome dragon man I’ve ever seen.”

Hanzo’s deer-like ears flick in embarrassment, but Jesse can tell he’s secretly preening in response to the compliment all the same, “Focus on getting well. I promise, that if we choose so, there will be more flirting later.”

“Okay, boss.” Jesse smiles a little and lets Hanzo continue to feed him in silence for the remaining time it takes him to finish the broth. When it’s finished, Hanzo smiles gently and leaves the room to go put the bowl away.

Jesse watches him go before he slumps against the nest. Jesse’s still not used to being so spoiled, and the part of him still itching to run and wander is blaring alarms that he’s having to suppress over and over. He’s safe here, Jesse reminds himself. Hanzo’s safe, Ichiro’s safe. There’s no danger and Hanzo’s likely right that no one would expect Jesse McCree to live in such a castle, or if someone did come to collect on him there would be a twenty-foot long dragon between them and Jesse. Besides, Hanzo’s informed him that Ichiro is almost old enough now to command lightning like his father does.

Speaking of Ichiro…

Jesse glances to where the young dragon sleeps curled up against his side. The boy is making little chirp noises in his sleep, his front legs twitching a little, his claws catching in the grooves of Jesse’s prosthetic arm. Once the tiny claws find purchase, Ichiro cuddles even closer to wind around it, finally quieting to only purr in his slumber. Jesse can’t help but melt at the sight, only looking away when he feels the blankets and pillows shift that heralds Hanzo’s return as the older dragon lays next to Jesse so Ichiro is nestled safely between them.

“He loves you, you know.”

“Figured as much when he called me his Papa back before I left.” Jesse admits, adjusting himself so both he and the little dragon are both comfortable, “An’ the fact that he snuck into my bag.”

“I’ll have to have a talk with him about sneaking into bags to nap.” Hanzo’s claws reach for his son to comb them through the fuzzy baby fluff along Ichiro’s back, “Though I admit, part of me is grateful he had, or else I feel we would have never seen you again.”

Even in his fever haze, Jesse can see the hurt lingering in Hanzo’s expression and hear the accusation in his voice. It’s much easier to read the dragon’s face in his humanoid form with proper lighting. Especially because Hanzo may or may not have this cute little furrow between his brows when he’s upset, as Jesse’s beginning to learn. He still feels bad that he’s the reason it’s even present on Hanzo’s face.

“I mean… I woulda visited.” Jesse offers.

“Provided you were not killed during your wanderings.” Hanzo retaliates, eyes meeting Jesse’s. He’s caught off guard by the emotion storming in those depths. Outside, the wind picks up and the sky darkens. Hanzo has to breathe for a second before the wind slows, but the sky remains overcast. “I’m sorry. I do not mean to get so upset as to call another storm. I was just…”

“Scared.” Jesse answers for him, “I mean, I don’t blame ya, your kid was missin’. Again.”

“It wasn’t just that.” Hanzo lets his gaze leave Jesse’s, and it’s strange to see such a prideful creature as a dragon look ashamed, “I was, still am… furious and deeply hurt that you would leave. It was selfish, it still is, to demand you stay. My feelings are not yours and I cannot force you to have any for me in turn.”

“Hey.” Jesse interrupts, voice soft as he takes Hanzo’s hand. It’s hard to stay awake when he’s so comfortable. “I’m here now, ain't I? I’m gonna hear ya out an’ we’re gonna have a long talk when I’m better like you’ve been sayin’. We’ll get all these feelin’ stuff sorted, I promise ya.”

Hanzo looks at Jesse and considers him for the longest time before he nods, reaching to gently cup Jesse’s jaw and lean up to press a shy kiss to the outlaw’s forehead. “Okay,” he answers, pressing his forehead to Jesse’s for a second, “I’m sorry. We’ll talk and take as long as we need to get all this sorted. You should rest, Jesse.”

Jesse answers with a wide yawn and a little shuffle of his shoulders to hunker down into the nest further, “Way ahead of ya, Han.”

Jesse considers Hanzo for a second before he offers the dragon his right side to cuddle into, and Hanzo moves to occupy the space. When Hanzo snuggles into his side, he throws an arm over Jesse’s middle so he can gently continue to rub along his son’s back. It’s so painfully domestic that Jesse can’t help but feel a twinge of longing in his gut, a smidgen of hope that Hanzo and himself can get things sorted and talked over. It surprises even him, how much he wants this, thinks himself a fool for even contemplating letting these two go.

Jesse looks to Ichiro, the small serpentine form of the dragon babe wound around the metal of his prosthetic. Jesse helped protect his egg, saw the little guy hatch right before his very eyes, heard his first spoken words as he happily chirped and chittered for Hanzo. Let Ichiro call Jesse himself Papa because the kid saw him as such. Now he realizes his own selfishness. Jesse always wanted to be a daddy, have a family of his own, now one landed in his lap out of nowhere and he was stupid enough to try to run scared. Jesse can have it, he realizes, Jesse can want this, he can stop running. Jesse can have… well…

Jesse turns to Hanzo and finds the dragon staring back at him. Jesse doesn’t know what to say, or if Hanzo expects him to speak, so they find themselves both drifting in thought in silence. Jesse doesn’t mind it, used to there being only the sounds of the night while on the run. He tries to listen for those noises now, anything familiar in the night while nestled in the nest of a great dragon. There is only the sound of the dragons that have in their own ways coveted Jesse for their own. A soft, snoring trill from the dragon child on his left and a deeper, rumbled purr from the dragon on his right.

Long ago, back at the mouth of a cave that feels like it was visited lifetimes ago, Jesse knows the man he was then would have been unnerved by such a noise. Not now. Jesse knows what this purr means. He’s heard Hanzo use it time and time again. A lullaby of sorts for an unhatched egg, comfort for a babe that learned the hard way that gravity works when he climbed too high, contentment in the forms of two dragons lazing in the sunlight.

A soft, grounding noise to calm and soothe a reckless cowboy. 

Hanzo’s purr, and even Ichiro’s, is soft. It’s safe. It’s home.

Jesse thinks he quite likes how home sounds, and drifts off to sleep to the sound of a dragon’s purr.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art for this chapter is done by [Bunny!](https://beetleknee.tumblr.com)


	11. At Rest

With lots of bedrest— and soup— Jesse is back to being up and about within a few days. Hanzo had spent most of Jesse’s bedrest at his side when Ichiro didn’t immediately require his father’s attention. Ichiro himself would drag his toys into his father’s nest to keep Jesse company. 

Jesse picks up the toys and takes them back into the nursery the moment he feels better. He was surprised that Hanzo wasn’t hovering over him like he has been the past few days, but figures that Ichiro must have wanted breakfast.

Jesse showers and changes into fresh clothes before setting out to locate the pair of dragons in the castle. He passes Genji on the way who waves at him cheerily before returning his attention to a video game he’s engrossed in. Jesse leaves him be and continues to search. He’s been cooped up in Hanzo’s nest for the past three days, so he doesn’t mind stretching his legs at all.

Eventually, he finds his way into the gardens of Shimada Castle and runs into Miss Emi smoking on the engawa. The Kitsune turns to him with a smile.

“Good to see that you are well, Mr McCree.” she says after exhaling, her tails flicking behind her as she seems to reign back very thinly veiled amusement, “Lost something?”

“Only two dragons.” Jesse replies with a grin, “Ya wouldn’t happen ta know where they went?”

Miss Emi hums and taps her kiseru against her bottom lip in thought, “I believe they are further in the gardens,” she turns and points to an archway Jesse has never noticed in his travels around Shimada Castle, “take that path, and you will find them.”

“Ah, thank y—“ Jesse turns to look back at Miss Emi, snapping his mouth shut when he notices the engawa she had been smoking on is no longer present and neither is she.

There’s no sign of the Kitsune at all except for the lingering scent of fine tobacco. The entire area of the garden around him has changed and Jesse can’t even see the actual castle structure itself, except for the archway Miss Emi had previously pointed out.Without any other direction to go, Jesse walks forward and follows the path, moving through the archway.

And into a lush, serene valley.

Jesse’s confusion is brushed aside by his sheer awe of the beauty of the place, and his feet seem to follow the path of their own accord. The path is well maintained, surrounded on both sides by huge rocky mounds overgrown with moss. The odd two will have a sakura tree blooming stubbornly from the rock.

Jesse just takes a deep breath now that he’s no longer congested to enjoy the fresh air.

He’s almost forgotten he’s here to find Hanzo and Ichiro when he stumbles upon them both. They are both sitting in front another of the large mounds, one that has what appears to be a split sakura tree growing from one of the lower areas of the rock. Hanzo appears to be praying, though he sometimes peers over at Ichiro and speaks lowly to his son. 

It’s only when Jesse approaches Hanzo that the dragon turns in surprise, and Jesse has to stop briefly in his tracks when he realizes both dragons are in front of a gravestone. His pause distracts him long enough for Ichiro to run up to him and clamber up Jesse’s body, his tiny claws sometimes getting stuck in Jesse’s clothes as he makes the climb.

“Howdy to you too.” Jesse laughs softly as Ichiro rubs his face against Jesse’s happily.

He gathers Ichiro up to hold the babe in his arms as he approaches Hanzo sheepishly. Hanzo simply nods to him gently and stands, but makes no move to take Ichiro from Jesse yet. The dragon’s gaze lingers on the gravestone and the mound of stone and moss behind it.

Now that he’s up close to the gravestone and the mossy mound, Jesse can’t help but notice that the mound is lumpy in an unnatural way like it’s carved. Gazing at it more closely, it is now apparent to him that he’s seen a similar shape before, whenever Hanzo himself in his huge dragon form has coiled himself up tightly. Jesse looks between the dragon-shaped mound and realizes exactly what, or more properly _who_ , he’s actually looking at.

“That’s her, ain’t it?” Jesse asks softly, takes his hat off when Hanzo nods. “I’m sorry Han, I didn’t mean to interrupt a private moment ‘tween you and Ichiro.”

“It is a surprise to me you even could,” Hanzo finally turns a misty-eyed gaze from the grave and the stone that was once his mate to Jesse, “This place is only accessible to the family. These are the Shimada Dragon burial grounds.”

 “Ah. Sorry, I think Miss Emi let me in.” Jesse looks abashed and shrugs, “Guess she thinks you needed a shoulder to cry on.”

“Perhaps.” Hanzo lets the last word hang a little in the air before he looks back to the grave, “I was, admittedly, speaking to her, to Mieko. About many things. About Ichiro, about being back home after so long.” Hanzo looks to Jesse, “About you.”

“Good things I hope.” Jesse teases gently, smiling when Hanzo lifts a corner of his mouth in a smile, “I’d hate ta make a bad first impression.”

Hanzo huffs a little laugh out at that, “Never.”

Jesse lets the silence linger, though he does drift closer to Hanzo. Ichiro eventually gets bored and climbs back down Jesse, eventually moving to the mound of moss and stone that was once his mother and promptly curling up on top of where Mieko’s head would be resting at the base of the sakura tree. Jesse hears Hanzo take a shaky breath at his side and reaches to offer Hanzo his hand.

Hanzo places his hand inside Jesse’s and twines their fingers. Jesse gives Hanzo a comforting squeeze and lets the dragon lean against him.

“How’s he takin’ it?” Jesse asks, motioning to Ichiro with his chin.

“I don’t think he fully understands,” Hanzo’s eyes are misting over again at Ichiro’s actions, “but he thinks his mother’s “sleep” is very beautiful.”

“He’s right, this place is beautiful.” Jesse replies, gazing at the valley around them before he turns his attention back to Hanzo, “How are you doin’?”

“It is nice to be able to visit her again.” Hanzo answers, “Nice to tell her I’ll be okay, and so will Ichiro.”

“Gives ya a little peace of mind?”

Hanzo nods, and rests his head on Jesse’s shoulder, “I have Genji to help me, and Miss Emi too, should I need it. And—“ Hanzo looks up to Jesse, “You too, should you wish to stay. There is a place here with me that can be yours if you want it.”

“We should talk ‘bout that b’fore you offer it, darlin’.” Jesse replies softly, “Let your Mieko continue her slumber an’ maybe get Ichiro into his nest for a nap? Then we can talk.”

Hanzo nods before he moves from Jesse’s side to gently pick Ichiro up, who chirps sleepily up at his Otousan. He gives a nod to Jesse as he passes him by, but Jesse lingers a little by the grave. He closes his eyes himself to say a little prayer to her, promising her that if it’s in the cards he’ll take care of Hanzo and Ichiro for her.

He nearly sneezes when the breeze kicks up and rains sakura petals down, one drifting across his nose.

He’ll take that as her blessing.

Jesse turns from the grave and finds Hanzo waiting for him little ways up the path. Jesse strides to meet him, taking Hanzo’s hand in his when the dragon offers it. Ichiro has dozed off again, his head on his father’s shoulder, tiny claws caught in the fabric of Hanzo’s outer kimono.

Together the three of them make their way out of the burial grounds back into the gardens of the Shimada estate.

Soon enough Jesse and Hanzo are tucking Ichiro into his nest in the nursery, and Jesse places a soft plush duck next to Ichiro and the baby immediately latches onto it. Hanzo laughs softly at his son, leans down to place a kiss on Ichiro’s head before he motions Jesse to follow him out of the nursery quietly.

Jesse follows where Hanzo leads after, entering the garden once more, but not before Hanzo stops by Genji to request his brother look after Ichiro for him should Ichiro wake before their talk is finished. Jesse lets Hanzo take his hand again, and pull him along, before the two stop along the winding paths in front of a rather impressive koi pond.

Hanzo folds himself to sit elegantly at the bank of it and Jesse flops down beside him. Both are silent as they gaze out at the brightly coloured fish swimming through the pristine water.

Jesse figures they eventually gotta start somewhere so he speaks up first, “Let's get this outta the way b’fore anything else. You still mad at me for leavin’?”

“No.” Hanzo shakes his head slowly, “I was lashing out at you when I was upset with myself for many things during that storm and that first day of your sickness. I wasn’t being fair to you and I’m sorry. You’re your own man and any claim I had to you was imagined.”

“Yeah,” Jesse nods softly, takes Hanzo’s hand and brings it close to him, placing his mechanical hand overtop of Hanzo’s gently, “Okay, that’s a good start. Though I will admit, dunno when it happened exactly, you had this wanderin’ fool’s eye for a while. Think I’ve been yours a while now.”

“Glad I wasn’t fully imagining things then.” Hanzo lets his tail flick side to side for a while before he decides to curl it loosely around where Jesse sits on the grass, “I do want to explore whatever this is between us, Jesse.”

“Me too, but I jus’ don’t want you to feel like you have to rush or I’ll slip away again.” Jesse pulls Hanzo’s hand up to kiss softly, “If you’re still mournin’, I want you to take your time. I ain’t goin’ anywhere, not anytime soon, and nothing less of a herd of wild horses could drag me away.”

Hanzo laughs softly, “An entire herd?”

“Of at least forty-seven mustangs.” Jesse winks and Hanzo smiles, and Jesse beams before he continues, “Though, I’m gonna be serious again Han, I’m sorry I left. I got scared.”

“Scared of what?” Hanzo presses softly.

“Bein’ allowed this, I guess?” Jesse takes off his hat and sets it down beside him, “Guys like me don’t really _get_ this, y’know? And I just felt like I was muscling my way in where I wasn’t needed, or wanted.” Jesse rubs his neck, “Plus, I always have made a point to not get attached, and here I was, gettin’ attached. After so long bein’ alone— its a lot.”

“I understand.” Hanzo turns his hand in Jesse’s to properly twine their fingers, “It’s hard. I too spent so long alone, guarding Ichiro’s egg, my only concern keeping him safe.”

“Yeah.” Jesse rubs Hanzo’s hand with his thumb, “And when you start lovin’ folks after keepin’ them at arms length—“

“—Its scary.” Hanzo finishes for him.

“Even scarier when ya want it so bad,” Jesse whispers softly in response, and Hanzo nods in agreement.

They let the conversation pause there, Hanzo looking out over the pond, and Jesse looking at Hanzo. They keep their fingers twined as their thoughts drift. Eventually, Jesse speaks to break the silence.

“I don’t need an answer if ya don’t have one right now, Han. I can wait, I’m a patient man.” when Hanzo turns to him, Jesse tucks a stray hair behind a draconic ear, making it twitch at the feather-light touch, “And I’m not asking you to replace Mieko with me either, so don’t get it in your head that that’s what you’re doing. She’d want you to be happy, an’ if you decide there’s enough room in your heart for me, I’ll come runnin’. And if there isn’t, that’s alright too. Any time with you is time I’ll treasure.”

“Thank you, Jesse,” Hanzo replies softly after a pause, squeezing Jesse’s hand. “But, I do have an answer for you.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s yes. I have had many days to think, about what I want for myself and for Ichiro.” Hanzo turns to look up at Jesse with a soft expression, “Can I court you, Jesse?” Hanzo asks softly, turning red in embarrassment when Jesse snorts, “What?”

“Ya just sound so formal.” Jesse cups Hanzo’s face and smiles into a messy kiss he places on the dragon’s cheek, “Jus’ ask me out on a date, sweetheart.”

“Forgive me if I’m one thousand and some odd years out of practice,” Hanzo huffs, but even his haughty tone can’t cover his smile, “Besides, for a man with such a storied reputation as a marksman, you’ve been doing a lot of missing.”

“Missin’ wha—“ Jesse begins to ask before a dragon man kisses him full on the mouth.

Jesse practically melts into the kiss, allowing Hanzo’s momentum to flop them both back onto the grass. The kiss breaks as they both dissolve into giggles, and Hanzo purrs softly as he dips down to claim Jesse’s lips for another. This time it isn’t gravity but a small baby dragon who interrupts the kiss by diving on top of his father. 

Both Hanzo and Jesse look up at a smugly smiling Genji who shrugs, “He wanted to go see what his Otousan and Papa were up to.”

Hanzo is about to chastise Genji before Jesse grabs him and points to Ichiro, who has hopped off the two of them and is gazing very intently at the brightly coloured koi swimming in the pond. They both exchange a quick glance before Hanzo scrambles to catch his son.

“ _Ichiro!_ ”

The slippery little babe slips out of Hanzo’s grasp and dives for the koi as Hanzo dives for his son, both going careening into the pond. Both Genji and Jesse scramble to help Hanzo when he resurfaces with Ichiro in his hands, the little dragon grinning wide around a small, flopping koi fish. Genji promptly loses it at the sight of his now sopping wet brother and his triumphant nephew, howling his glee as he rolls around on the grass. Jesse pulls his serape off to wrap around Hanzo as the soaking wet dragon climbs back onto shore.

“He got his fangs while I was out for the count, didn’t he?” Jesse asks softly after a moment or two passes in complete silence save for Genji’s laughter.

“He got his fangs,” Hanzo confirms with a long-suffering sigh.

Ichiro wiggles and chirps happily, losing his grip on the fish in his mouth, which falls to the grass before flopping its way back to the water. The three of them stare after the fish in utter disbelief, until Ichiro makes a shrill roar of outrage that has Hanzo and Jesse wheezing with laughter. Jesse’s got a feeling being around this family, being with Hanzo and Ichiro, is going to be an adventure all its own.

And he’s going to treasure every moment of it.

**Author's Note:**

> And so we arrive at the end!  
> HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE THANKS to my wonderful artists, Mimi and Bunny! You can find the links to their tumblrs in the chapter notes of the chapters that contain their drawings. From the bottom of my heart thank you for taking this journey with me you two! 
> 
> If you wanna chat at me about McHanzo or any other of the pairings I ship, catch me on my fic tumblr [Angstgremlin](http://angstgremlin.tumblr.com) or you can now find me at my Twitter [Angstgremlin](https://twitter.com/Angstgremlin)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Stormsong](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18380933) by [virberos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/virberos/pseuds/virberos)




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